


Fate's Twist from Beyond the Veil

by Winters_Mage



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Animagus, BDSM, Conspiracy, Dark Magic, Dark Ron Weasley, Dead Parents, Death, Death Eaters, Double Penetration, Emotional Turmoil, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Group Sex, Hogwarts, Hogwarts Forbidden Forest, Magic, Magical Creature, Magical World, Multi, Polyamory, Rape, Revenge, Ritual, Romance, Smut, casting, coven - Freeform, loving relationship, soulmate, voldemort - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-19 04:41:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 38,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29620767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winters_Mage/pseuds/Winters_Mage
Summary: As a baby, Harry Potter saved the world by not dyeing. At five years old, Sirius Black rescued him from the brink of death at the hands of the Dursleys. Once Sirius whisked him to France, Harry studied tirelessly to become one of the most powerful and practiced wizards in the world by age 15. By then he had destroyed all the horcruxes. He only had to die. After seven minutes, his coven revived him so he could toss the shriveled remains of Voldemort's screaming soul through the Veil. The world was safe for the second time.At 17, after having taken on the family title of Lord Potter, Harry returns to Britain for his first final year at Hogwarts. He has been to the Book of Bonds and knows this is his last chance to find his soulmate before they disappear into the wider world. But Fate can't seem to keep herself from employing her favorite pawn. Can he solve the ominous warning the Sorting Hat gave him in time to save the world for the third time?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Luna Lovegood, Luna Lovegood/Harry Potter
Comments: 14
Kudos: 57





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for giving this a chance! This is my first fanfiction and I hope you like it. I'm not going to put any warnings here, that's what tags are for. I also refuse to leave you lengthy author notes unless I'm asked direct questions I think you all would be interested in. 
> 
> I am always open to comments and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, but will ruthlessly mock those that spew pointless hate. Probably with bad puns if I can think of them. But normally I'm a rather friendly person! Feel free to chat. Unless this gets a much wider audience than I believe it is capable of, I promise to reply. 
> 
> Obviously, I do not own the Harry Potter world or any characters from that world. 
> 
> Other influences include Kiera Marcos, who wrote a wonderful fanfiction called the Soulmate Bond.

"How did it get out?” Sirius was eerily calm and unnatural still. "I gave very explicit instructions that no one was to know."  
"Right. Well it seems there was a leak." Jacques, the French government official who had worked with Sirius Black for years and, more recently, his son Harry Potter, sipped his black espresso. A valiant unconcerned air about him.  
"A leak? Really? No shit. How?"  
"I'm not sure. He's not even enrolled under his real name."  
"We can probably remedy that now Jocky," Harry said.  
"Well of course! That will stop the rumors. Why didn't I think of that?"  
"Dad, Please. We both knew this would cause a bit of a row." Harry fixed himself some Earl Greg and sat across from his godfather at their sturdy oak dinning table. The kitchen, like the rest of the house, was a Testament to Sirius's personality. The house dated back to the time of Louis XVI, before all that beheading business, and had been built by some well-to-do noble. The Black family had purchased it some 150 years ago.  
When Sirius had moved in with Harry in toe, he laughed gleefully as he tossed all the hoighty-toighty French Revolution era antiques into the yard and burnt it. All that remained was the oak table Harry had perched on to watch his new guardian ransack the place. Assuming the boy liked it, Sirius had let the table survive. Everything in the house was jarringly modern.  
"You were supposed to be "safely "tucked away at that school before the fireworks." The quotes around safely were implied with a snort of derision.  
"I've dealt with the press before."  
"Not like this. In France your story is a sad but a hero and necessary tragedy. In Britain, you're a national icon who was cruelly stolen away by the secret death eater, Sirius Black."  
"Please. If anyone believes you're a death Eater they need to have their head examined."  
"Believe it kid. The more prepared you are the better."  
"Are you quite sure you won't reconsider Mr. Potter?" Jacques fiddled with his cufflinks. Tension left him in waves now that Sirius's quietly seething anger seemed diffused.  
"I've got to deal with Britain eventually. Better they underestimate me than my going as an adult trying to press my agenda with the weight of my title alone." Harry fingered the house ring on his right ring finger. A griffin and stag bowed to each other in front of a star. The Potter house crest.  
"Don't get all sensible on me." Sirius sighed with a hint too much drama to be entirely genuine and rubbed his temples. "Fine. Do what he says. Confirm all those yuppies’ wildest hopes and dreams."  
The rest of the week was spent preparing for school. He got all his required texts and equipment. Luckily, he had a space expanding charm on his suitcase. There were at least 50 books he couldn't bear to leave behind. Hogwarts was supposed to have an extensive library, but there were several rare books in both the Black and Potter family libraries that were far too few to be in some school. In fact several of them were banned by the British government and several more were probably entirely unheard of.  
Besides ignoring letters from news companies and requests to floo into their house, Harry had one important task. Going to Hogwarts to complete a competency qualifier  
Sirius grumbled about them not trusting his parenting, but Harry knew the faculty were using school policy to get a look at him before there were other students there.

***

Tuesday, the week before classes began, Harry and Sirius apparated to the front gate and walked onto the grounds. As always, Harry marveled at how much easier solo apparating was on his stomach. He'd been of age since he accepted his title and became a peer of the realm. His fathers ring, which Sirius had never worn despite holding the seat for the Potter family in the Wizengamot, sat heavily on his right hand.  
Logically, he knew he would pass the qualifiers without using a tenth of his effort, skill, or considerable power; however, this was the first time a Potter had been in Hogwarts since his father and he desperately wanted to prove himself worthy of his family’s reputation. The hype and expectations of the general public, in comparison, barely registered much less motivated him.  
The pair got the fully intended intimidating view of the castle and surrounding grounds. The castle stood imposing and immovable. A testament to wizard hubris and belief in their own species' superiority, power, and immortality. To either side of the cliff that the castle crested, grass gave the picture a verdant frame. Behind the Castle, the still lake glistened in the afternoon sun. Surrounding it all was dark thick Forest.  
Harry supposed the first years, with whom he would be sorted with next week, were taken in small canoes so they would be properly awed and inspired by the castle upon rounding the bend. Harry grimaced at the blatant manipulation. Someone who needed to resort to such parlor tricks, and with children of all people, was either clinging to power or blatantly overcompensating. Given the numerous dangers Harry was aware of, and had occasionally combatted unknown to the inhabitants, in Dumbledore's case it could very well be both.  
They were greeted at the massive front doors by a chipper, if shabbily dressed house elf. It was clear that some effort had been put into uniforming the creature, however, the clothing was a size too large and had been patched repeatedly. the elf seemed proud of the uniform and had ironed the patchwork of tea-towels into a semblance of crispness. Harry shuddered knowing Hogwarts was known to have some of the best accommodations for house elves in Britain.  
Many of the 47 Potter elves were refugees of very poor and even abusive conditions. He was 6 house elf families short of having a representative of every native British elf clans. So far, no one knew or had called him on what he was doing. He planned to keep it that way until he could move ahead with his plans to improve house elf rights.  
"Welcome Lord Potter, Lord Black, to Hogwarts. I be Winky and here to take yous two masters to the Great Hall. Professorses and Mister Headmaster bes waiting for yous there."  
"Thank you Winky, "Harry said, offering his hand to shake hers. Her eyes widened in shock and she chewed hard on her lower lip before working up the courage to take the wizard's hand. After she looked at her own palm in astonishment. "It would make me very happy if you would call me Harry."  
"Oh no Sir. Winky would not be able to be doing that. Not be proper. Winky is a proper elf Lord Potter."  
"Well I would very much like to be your friend, and it is proper for friends to call each other by their first names."  
Winky's eyes grew even larger and she stood silently for several seconds. "Winky be trying Mr. Harry. Thank you. Other elves won't be believing Winky."  
"Well, tell them to come ask me. I'd like to meet all the Hogwarts elves."  
"Mr. Harry wants to be meeting MORE Hogwarts elves?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"I believe its important to thank the people who take care of me. "Harry stood from where he'd crouched to talk to Winky, a concession that would normally send her reeling by itself. She mouthed the word 'people' with awe. "Now, best we don't keep them waiting."  
"Of course not Lord Black, Mr. Harry. This way. Winky be showing you."  
The Great Hall, being behind large wooden doors that looked like they'd need a team of horses to open or close off the right of the entrance hall, was not difficult to find.  
Harry walked into the great hall with a stiff back, carefully blank expression, and raised chin. Saunter would be an apt description of how he carried himself in that moment. Here were nine people who needed to remember he was a Lord, no matter what he said to Sirius about wanting to be underestimated.  
"May Winky be presenting Lord Harry Potter to Professors Firenze," Winky pointed to the centaur on the far left with a palomino body, pale blond hair, and star bright blue eyes. "Flitwick," next in line to the right stood a barely 3 foot high white haired half goblin. "Hagrid," a great hairy man with kind eyes and an uncertain smile. "And McGonagall," a stern, tight lipped middle aged woman with a secret smile for Harry behind her spectacled teal eyes. They'd been exchanging letters since Harry had been put under Sirius's custody, though as far as they knew, none of the other professors knew. "Headmaster Dumbledore who has too many titles for poor Winky to remember." Dumbledore sat with a straight backed, despite his incredible age, with a white beard past his mid drift, calculating water blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles, and fuchsia robes standing dead center and a half step in front of the seated faculty. "And professors Sprout" a plump, kindly woman with corkscrew greying hair more unruly than Harry's when it was sheared short, and dirt ingrained in to every wrinkle and crease. "Babbling," the youngest of the represented staff with a no-nonsense auburn braid in front of her left shoulder, eyes the deep green shade of the forbidden forest, and a clever if reserved grin. "Slughorn," a portly fellow preoccupied with the whine and cheese in front of him and dressed in the richest robes in the room. "And Snape." Without the introduction, Harry could easily have picked Snape out of the lineup based solely on the mix of contempt, superiority, and pure hate staring out of those coal dark eyes. His nose was hooked, hair lank, and thin lips pulled into a sneer.  
"Thank you Winky, "Harry said causing the elf to blush and shuffle her bare feet. With a nod from Dumbledore, Winky gave a deep curtsy, slightly more toward Harry than the staff, and popped away.  
"Welcome to Hogwarts Harry. "Dumbledore grinned widely though Harry's eyebrows rose at the affected familiarity. For now, in front of every one of his future teachers, he let it pass. "I have been waiting to say so for entirely too long.  
"The UK wasn't exactly safe for me until recently."  
"My dear boy, why ever not? You took care of You-know- who nearly two years ago." Slughorn said.  
"Yes professor. I killed him with the help of my coven and tossed what few remains there were through the veil. I would like to think that such a highly educated individual would be able to use Tom Riddles' name two years after his death." A collective wince ran through all the faculty besides Dumbledore, McGonagall, and surprisingly Snape. Hagrid jerked so hard his glass shattered against the stone floor. As Harry continued, a house elf with a broom popped in "or, at the very least, his silly made up moniker. You can't inadvertently summon him or his wrath. There's not even a shadow of him left. But to answer your question Sir, Lord Moldy still had many followers who were alive, free, and plenty motivated to take a shot at me." While Harry kept his eyes on Slughorn, he had excellent peripheral vision, which spied Snape's grip tighten on his armrests.  
"Further, even now the media is in a frenzy about my return, and while that's not in and of itself life threatening, it is rather annoying. Last, and most concerning, there were rumblings, some from the ministry, that I was a dark wizard and should be imprisoned or killed. I'm still not sure whether that last has entirely abated, and the first two certainly haven't."  
Slughorn only nodded. There was stunned, or perhaps contemplative silence for several moments.  
"Mr. Potter," McGonagall, the only person in the room besides Sirius that Harry would have preferred call him by his first name, said, "why then, have you chosen to return now?"  
Dumbledore's eyes flashed but he quickly schooled his expression back to mildly curious. Beside Harry, Sirius snorted.  
"When I expressed my intention to take my NEWT in Defense Against the Dark Arts, there was a lot of hemming and hawing beforehand and a lot of questions about my education." He could practically hear Sirius grinding his teeth beside him. "I would like to forestall any future misguided assumptions."  
"But surely, considering the unfortunate circumstances you mentioned, there are other schools."  
"Minerva, "Dumbledore snipped quietly.  
"You're right Professor. However, Beaubatton is almost exclusively female and, while they assured me they would accept me, the scandal and hyper vigilant supervision it would entail do not make for a suitable learning environment. Durmstrang is run by a Death Eater."  
"Ex-Death Eater," Snape said, his gaze cool. "He said he was under the imperious curse."  
"If we believe everyone who claimed to be under that convenient curse, then Voldemort would be god, not a mortal. I may have an ego, professor, but not even I believe I could kill a god at 15. I also happen to know better than most that some marks are much more than a symbol. Moreover, a mark of loyalty and obedience, such as the Dark Mark, must be taken under one’s own power. If he was not a willing participant at some point in time, had not committed a dark enough act of his own volition for Voldemort to test him, then the mark would have faded as soon as he was far enough away from his master."  
Snapes' expression grew deadly dark, but Harry met his gaze lovely.  
"Unfortunately, outside of the UK, there is much less of a magical presence and the schools are even more lackadaisical."  
"Even more, Mr. Potter? "Flitwick asked.  
"Yes. Britain's NEWTS are, by a large margin, the least comprehensive of the UK."  
"That is hardly a reflection of the school," Babbling challenged, though her expression remained neutral.  
"On the contrary, 91% of British magicals attend or attended Hogwarts. If the school prepared them fully perhaps the exam would be more rigorous."  
"I think," Sprout said before anyone else could speak, "that we should get on with the qualifiers. "Lots of work to be done yet before the students arrive next week."  
"Right you are," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to go first my dear?"  
So it began. Professor Sprout provided him with a quick written test about different properties and uses for various plants. Several of them he had seen in his prep for his OWL. None of them were overly difficult. Her eyebrows shot up when he finished in under a half hour. Without a word, she uncovered several plants for him to harvest and/or repot. He did so quickly and efficiently, knowing as he did that he would never truly excel with plants. He only hoped he could eke out enough skill to take his International Potions NEWT. There were several concoctions that required the brewer to work with plants for the freshest ingredients possible and others that needed to interact with the brewer’s magical core.  
Sprout smiled encouragement a few times and patted his shoulder once he'd finished.  
Firenz went next. His test took the form of a lengthy and largely theoretical conversation, though he was thorough when questioning Harry’s knowledge of the stars. With a nod to Harry and then the headmaster, Firenz clopped out of the hall.  
McGonagall went next. Hers was the only test he knew what to expect. She had discussed it with him at length to make sure he was alright with it. Completing the test honestly meant giving the faculty a rather clear idea of his overall magical proficiency. Originally, he planned to do some middling transfiguration that would impress but not tip his hand. After meeting Dumbledore, he agreed with McGonagall that the respect gained from going all out would be worth giving away his strength.  
"Conjure some wood for me, Mr. Potter." He conjured an oak stump in the middle of the room. It weighed approximately 150 pounds.  
"Excellent. Now, I would like you to transfigure it into the most complex design you can manage. The more varied materials you can incorporate the better."  
Harry had thought long and hard about his design. Initially he was going to make simple statues out of a few different stones, metals, and crystals. Enough to impress but not wow or show his true skill. Dumbledore and Snape had pissed him off to the point of changing his design on the fly. He concentrated for several minutes before getting to work. 15 minutes later, he stood back, slightly winded.  
In the center of the room a griffin and stag bowed to each other. The griffin's body was pale orange amber letting everyone see the coloured glass organs, tissues, and bones he'd created inside. The stag's body was primarily diamond, clear quarts, and cut glass to keep it transparent, yet textured like fur and worked into complex geometric designs he couldn’t create with just one material to the same effect. Inside, he grew amethysts, cats eye, aquamarine, jade, ruby, sapphire, and various other coloured stones into anatomical replications of a stag’s internal systems. Its antlers were a conflagration of different flowering fruit tree branches. Behind the two breathtakingly complex beasts sat a glowing multi hued star. The brilliant colours pulsed and fluctuated. On closer inspection, the star was filled with millions of iridescent fish catching and refracting the light of a cold flame burning in the water at the bottom of their unique tank.  
The room was eerily silent. Even Snape forgot to look superior while investigating the spectacle.  
"Jeez pup, "Sirius said, "was it wise to go that hard? I didn't even know you could do that."  
"Wise? No. Satisfying? In the extreme," Harry whispered back, basking in the glow of Sirius's pride and Dumbledore’s disbelief.  
"Perhaps," Dumbledore spoke at long last, "we should resume the qualifiers tomorrow. Give young Mr. Potter a chance to recharge after this impressive display."  
"With all due respect Sir, I'm far too busy. Today is the only time I have to come here until the school year begins. If I may have time for a quick snack, I'll be ready for the rest."  
"I for one," Flitwick said, "refuse to believe that someone capable of creating that isn't able to complete the relatively simple charms I would test him for. Mr. Potter is welcome in my class."  
"I reckon," Hagrid said, staring at the beasts’ innards, "that he knows his magical creatures if he can make ‘em that specific. 'E's welcome in Care of Magical Creatures." He flashed Harry another uncertain smile. Harry nodded.  
"While I'll admit the fact that you transfigured that was an impressive display and the fact that it doesn't look like it will unravel for some time is even more still, runes are a precise and demanding discipline. I will be testing you after a short break, "Babbling said.  
"Potions are also different enough and I'm curious to see what you're capable of," Slughorn said.  
"I will also be testing you Potter. "Snape grinned.  
“Perhaps I wasn't clear. I already have my NEWT in Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
"A French NEWT does not satisfy the British government."  
"My International NEWT. I have no use for your remedial class." Harry's smile was pleasant enough, but energy crackled behind his eyes, issuing a silent challenge. The glee in Snape's eyes promised he'd rise to the challenge.  
"That's quite the accomplishment my boy! "Slughorn intercepted and diffused the tension.  
"That slimy little worm," Sirius whispered, fury written all over his face. "I should-”  
"Nothing. Do nothing. I have to live with these people." Harry picked at the biscuits and sipped at the black tea Winky had brought him. Sirius sat with him at one of the long tables which had been moved to the sides of the hall to make room for the qualifiers. "They have to respect me, and won't if I run to my Daddy to solve my problems."  
"Snivellus is not capable of respect."  
"Then he'll become well acquainted with the business end of my wand."  
Sirius smirked. "I wish I could see his face when that happens. Yes, I do believe that particular delight would do this old dog some good."

***

Harry had the most fun with the runes qualifier. He took his time with the written portion, taking nearly 40 minutes to translate, interpret and discuss the theory behind Several runes. The practical portion was where he really got to show off. Given what he'd accomplished in transfiguration with freedom, Babbling instructed him to create any safe runic array that used ingenuity and showed what he could do. He was given a sandbox to practice before using anything but the potion supplies to demonstrate.  
Messing around with runes was something he often did in his spare time. One idea in particular had excited him for quite a while.  
After 15 minutes, Harry pulled out his steele, a slab of enchanted charcoal for drawing magical runes, and wrote a moderately intricate array on the hem of his cloak. They flashed gold once he'd finish and then faded into the black cloth. The faculty looked on with interest, but nothing happened. With a grin, Harry wrote out a complex Japanese based runic array on one of the long tables. They glowed blue, the intensity ramping up as the wood groaned and cracked.  
Abruptly, the runes faded and the wood split into thousands of evenly sized pieces. To the startled gasps of the faculty, the fragments formed into palm sized wooden birds in the air. Once they were all formed, they flocked together, did a lap of the room, and then all dived at Harry. With a grin, Harry activated his own array and shot into the air, easily dodging the birds. For a few minutes, he evaded the birds with twists, dives, and seeker's tricks for flare as he did.  
Once he believed the teachers were properly wowed, he summoned the 10 birds with faint runes to him and immobilized the rest. In the air, Harry levitated the birds in a row to recreate his array, with deft motions, he altered two of the runes so the process reversed. All the birds stuck together to recreate the long table, though the wood grain had changed into a complex feather pattern. Harry landed smoothly to stunned silence broken by Flitwick's enthusiastic applause.  
"Well done Harry," Dumbledore said. "I believe that table will have to belong to Ravenclaw from here out."  
The potions qualifier passed without anything noteworthy happening. Slughorn gave ready praise and encouragement, which soured Snape's already bleak mood further. While not nearly as adept in potions as transfiguration or runes, Harry earned a spot in Slughorn's class, though whether by skill or reputation wasn't readily apparent to anyone. Despite Slughorn 5 praise, by the end of the final qualifier, Snape looked smug. The boy certainly hadn't inherited his mother's talent.  
"Well then, "Harry said, clapping once."Thank you for your time today Professors, Headmaster."  
"Harry, "Dumbledore called as father and son turned to leave. "You never told us which classes you'll be taking?  
"All of them."  
"Pardon?"  
"I would like to take my international NEWTS by the end of the school year."  
"All seven.” Dumbledore stroked his beard. "That's quite a load for seventh year."  
"I could teach DADA as well. I'm better qualified than Snape. Honestly, the need to come to an ‘accredited’ school to be respected astounds me."  
"I'm plenty qualified, Potter, and am willing to show you just how badly you need the education."  
"Well by all means, I'm certainly happy to oblige if I've hurt your delicate sensibilities."  
Snape sneered and stood.  
"Severus," Dumbledore warned, giving Snape pause.  
"That's right. Listen to your master. He's the only reason you're not imprisoned or dead." Harry sneered.  
"What are you doing pup," Sirius muttered. Harry however, replied just loudly for the approaching Snape to hear, but too quietly for the other faculty to make out.  
"Proving that just because you're proficient at the Dark Arts, does not mean you should teach students how to protect themselves from them." Then in a whisper, "And giving you an early Christmas present."  
"Severus, don't raise to the boy's taunts." Dumbledore beseeched. "He's only a child. One with a guardian that had no love for you."  
With visible effort, Snape clenched his teeth and sat back down, back rigid.  
"Huh," Harry said for Sirius alone. "I guess I'll have to buy you a toaster or something."  
Without waiting to be dismissed, Harry and Sirius left the castle, grounds, and soon appeared in their France manor with a faint pop from one and silence from the younger. 

***

"Will you let that little puke strut around this school like he owns it? Like he's royalty." Snape had taken Dumbledore aside as the other faculty filed out of the hall.  
“I have a strong suspicion that both are true, Severus. For one, you know as well as I that Potter has claimed his title. As the head of one of the Sacred Twenty Eight noble families, he is as close to royalty as our kind has. Plus, he has had nearly twice as many articles written about him in the past 17 years than any of the British muggles have written about their ruling class in the last fifty years. Second, and much more concerning, I believe Mr. Potter may be the Heir of Gryffindor. If those suspicions are confirmed this year, it may very well mean that he does own this castle.” That last would certainly lessen any control Dumbledore could eke out of the boy and would hamper his plans.  
“But his utter ungrounded arrogance!”  
Dumbledore stared pointedly to where Harry’s transfigured statues stood unchanged in the middle of the room. Dumbledore would have struggled to transfigure something with such precision and attention to detail. If he had managed it, the spell would have begun to revert to wood and fade away within about an hour. Harry’s had stood twice that so far and didn’t show any signs of weathering. When Dumbledore probed it, he found that the effect had been loosely connected to the hearthstone of the castle and sealed in a way he wasn’t familiar with. With a frown, he realized the monument Harry had created in defiance may grace the Great Hall for quite a while.  
At Snape’s reserved sigh, Dumbledore circumvented the irked professor and headed for the door.  
Severus had a point, but was focused on the wrong details. Harry’s confidence stood to be a minor issue, but the biggest problem was the defiance. If Dumbledore had succeeded in keeping Sirius Black incarcerated, the Boy Who Lived would have been made pliable under the Dursley muggles. He would have been so grateful to Dumbledore for taking him from those people, so awed by his power, that he would have made a loyal, almost devout pupil.  
More importantly, he would have made the perfect weapon. Eventually, when the time was right, he would have made a historic martyr for Wizarding kind and a rallying point Dumbledore could use the memory of to further his cause.  
Alas, Sirius had more connections than he'd known of. Connections such as Amelia Bones, the director of the Aurors and one of the few incorruptible officials in the Ministry. She'd unburied the Potters’ last will and testament, a feat Dumbledore was still flummoxed over. When he wanted something buried, it might as well never have existed.  
Not this time.  
Amelia presented irrefutable proof of Blacks' innocence as well as the will which expressly stated the boy was under no circumstances to be put under the care of Petunia. Worse still, Sirius had full parental rights and was the first listed guardian. There were five others listed as back ups. Not unheard of during the war.  
Dumbledore was not on the list and the magical guardianship he had assumed of Harry was immediately invalidated.  
Sirius had clearly encouraged him to be his own person.  
Yes. Dumbledore certainly had some damage control to do this year.  
***  
"So tell me again about your plan to remain underestimated, "Sirius said while flopping onto their white leather couch. Their living room was a little cramped, but the coloured glass windows sent multi-hued light scattered across the predominantly sleek white furniture. A flat TV took up the entire space above the mantle.  
"I saw his smug self-satisfied face and the plan changed. "Harry lounged in a recliner and accepted the tea Zaldey, an elderly male house If that had been with the Potter family before the war and one of the first Harry recovered when his magical core matured enough to bond them, offered.  
"And it changed to...?"  
"Showing him that I know he’s a manipulative coot and, that I will not be his cog."  
“Good."  
They sipped tea in silence for a few minutes.  
"So," Sirius said, "next week. Excited?"  
“If anything, it'll be a tedious exercise in avoiding the over-excited yes-men wannabes."  
"And if one of those floozies is her? Or him."  
"Whatever magic is responsible for soulmate bonds wouldn't be cruel enough to pair me with someone I can't stand." When Harry turned eleven and was bemoaning not having friends, Sirius made a deal with him. He took him to the Ministry in France to see one of the books of bonds in exchange for him to stop begging to go to Hogwarts. Harry had relented. Ever since Sirius had told him that his parents were soulmates Harry longed to see if he too had a destined partner somewhere in the world.  
Soulmates were rare and one of the most treasured bonds of the wizarding world. Once both parties fully accepted the bond their relationship deepened in some magical way unique to the couple. His parents had been able to talk telepathically to each other at will no matter the distance between them or the state of the others mind, such as unconscious or compelled.  
His visit to the Book of Bonds had been among the most magical of this life. The air shimmered and pulsed with raw energy. There were three such books in existence, one controlled by the French, British, and Russian ministries. Each of them had been created by Merlin and recorded all types of magical bonds in the world. When Harry approached the book, which rested on a bronze pedestal in the middle of a dim empty room without windows and only torches for light, the book flipped open to a page.

Harry James Potter.  
Familial bond forming with Hedwig, snowy owl.  
Bonded to House Elves Zaldy, Cissmy, and Poppy.  
Soulmate bond pending. Partner to be found at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardry in Scotland.

Upon request, the book made him a copy that he took with him. Even now it rested in its envelope in the left breast pocket of his robes and had updated itself with each new House Elf along with the fact that he had fully bonded to Hedwig and Zar, the fully mature male Fulgari, or lightning snake, that Harry had gotten from McGonagall for his twelfth birthday. The only time it wasn't on his person was when he slept as he loathed pajamas. Not even that felt secure enough. Multiple safety charms were placed on the parchment. No one could take or read the page. Several fail safes were built in to warn him if anyone tried to break his charms.  
Rather than quell his desire, Harry became insistent that he attend Hogwarts. Every September they fought bitterly. Sirius made very logical arguments about the dangers that Voldemort and his followers posed. Dangers he couldn't protect him from if he was locked away under Dumbledore's manipulations.  
Ultimately, he had to use the parent card.  
Harry satisfied himself by dealing with the dangers that arose at Hogwarts yearly. He also assigned house elves to infiltrate the school elves and keep a closer eye on things.  
This year was different. Not only was Harry of age now that he'd accepted his title, but it was the last year he could attend the school. Sirius hadn't tried too hard to convince him against going this year.  
The only problem was that Harry had no idea who his soulmate was. The book only confirmed the match once both people stood before the book.  
He had ten months to figure out who his soulmate was or risk them being lost to the anonymity of the larger world.


	2. Chapter 2

Silence swept through platform 9¾ When Harry stepped through with Hedwig and Sirius. Doing his best to ignore the excited chatter that sprung up a moment later, Harry opened Hedwig's cage. With a disgruntled hoot, she flapped thrice with powerful thrusts to alight on his shoulder. Displeasure radiated from her.

"I know girl, "Harry crooned "but the muggles would pitch a fit if I walked into King's Cross with you out and about. Forgive me?"

She turned her head away, obviously ignoring him, but left his ears alone, so he knew there was no long term damage.

"Stay safe. Get into the fun kind of trouble." Sirius gave him a hug. "Find them quickly so we can get out of this mess."

“I’m going to finish the year."

"Why? Your tutors are far more competent than most of the crackpots in that place."

"And don't you think that's a problem? Not only are the educators lackluster, but Hogwarts is held up as one of the safest places in the world to send your children. Yet every year, you and I deal with deadly threats to the entire student body that either slip in, like Tom's diary, or that the head coot welcomed in? I swear, Dumbledore brought the philosophers stone to the castle to bait old Moldy. Maybe if I'm the one in danger, if I collect evidence and condemn the school and staff I can make long term changes."

"None of that sounds like the good kind of trouble pup." Sirius sighed. “At least stay away from that Granger, yea? Her and the youngest Weasley boy seem to attract danger."

"You're joking right? She's one of my top five guesses. With how much shit comes my way, whoever I end up with will have to be able to take it."

"I don't want to hear it. "Sirius clapped his hands over his ears. "This is supposed to be the time you say 'don't worry dad, I'll be fine’ and instead you're telling me you'll waltz into any danger you see."

"Don't worry Dad." Harry hugged him. "I'll be fine. Can't be any harder than fighting Moldy. You've been training me for danger my whole life."

"Yes, well that doesn't mean I like when you run off to face it pup." Sirius squeezed before letting him go. “Raise hell. I'll be setting up the new place this week so it'll be ready for your first Hogsmead trip. That is, if you are not too busy dating every available witch and charming others away from their partners to come see your dear old dad."

Harry punched him lightly on the shoulder. As soon as Sirius knew Harry would be going to Hogwarts he had looked into buying the Shrieking Shack from Dumbledore. The headmaster had leant the house to Remus Lupin, a close friend of Sirius and James Potter, Harry’s biological father. Remus had been bitten by a werewolf, before attending Hogwarts. The shack had been his refuge during transformations and later where Sirius, James, and their other friend, Peter Petigrew, had kept Remus company in their animagus forms during the full moon.

Delighted that Harry was finally coming to Hogwarts, Dumbledore had given in to Sirius's nostalgia under the stipulation that if he ever sold the house it would be back to the Dumbledore family.

"You know, most parents only see their kids at the holidays while they're staying at Hogwarts."

"Well I'm used to seeing you every day. You can't deny me my weekends. Do you have your mirror?"

“Yes."

"Call me once you're sorted."

"I'm NOT putting that mind reading hat on my head. Besides being unsanitary, it's super invasive."

“Welcome to Hogwarts, where even your thoughts are under Dumbledore's purview. Just call me."

"Alright." The whistle sounded and Harry gave Sirius one more hug before boarding the train with the other stragglers.

While almost any car would have welcomed him, and several tried to convince him to join them, he was looking for someone. Hermione Granger's car was full with people Harry recognized as usually being in the thick of things with her. Neville Longbottom, a dashing teen with strong crisp facial features, broad shoulders, dark hair, hazel eyes, and none of the awkwardness he'd displayed in his youth. He sat to Hermione’s right, a fact Ron Weasley, as freckled and flame haired as the rest of them, watched with narrowed eyes from the window seat across from her. Ginny Weasley sat to Neville's other side, reading a muggle romance novel, while across from her, Luna Lovegood stared off into space.

As if his glance had alerted her, Luna looked over and waved to Harry, the dazed expression not entirely gone from her face. Harry waved back. Hermione looked to see what had drawn her odd friends attention and locked eyes with Harry. Her mouth fell open into a slight ‘O'.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned from the cars' door, a frown on his face. He hadn't thought she would be the type to be star struck. Shame.

***

Harry had first taken notice of Hermione in her first year. Early on, a troll had been let loose in the castle as a distraction by Professor Quirel, in an effort to find the philosopher’s stone for Voldemort.

Hermione had run into the troll. Trapped in a bathroom, she’d had no route to escape. Ron, her idiot friend, nearly got both of them killed while irritating the troll by chucking anything he could reach at it, rather than distracting it in a more placid way so Hermione could sneak around and they could both run like hell.

Luckily, Harry had asked Poppy, his youngest and newest elf to scope out Hogwarts. She wouldn’t be known as his elf yet and Harry had been tying to gather evidence that Hogwarts was safe for him to attend.

Not so.

However, her presence was fortunate for Hermione as Poppy had heard the troll was loose and, as all house elves are protective of kids, hunted it down. She knocked it out in a way that left Ron thinking he’d succeeded in levitating its club and smacking him in the head hard enough to knock it out.

Despite proving Sirius’s point rather than his own, Harry kept three elves at Hogwarts from that point forward to protect the school and his future soulmate.

In her second year, Hermione again caught his attention.

Draco’s father had told him where the entrance to the chamber of secrets was. Knowing just enough parseltongue to open both the sink entrance and the second door further in, the spiteful boy had tossed an unconscious Hermione into the chamber as an offering at his father’s insistence. Lucius knew one of his master’s soul fragments existed there as he had planted it on the Weasley girl to bolster Voldemort’s power. Malfoy had been collecting horcruxes in the hope of bringing them together and using their power to bring back his master. He needed Voldemort to be pleased with his service, and had Draco aid him in any ventures dealing with the school.

Called to Hogwarts by a frantic elf who couldn’t deal with the Basilisk, Harry went to take it on.

When he arrived, Hermione was barely clinging to consciousness and the snake toyed with her. She knew not to look it in the eyes, but she was having a beast of a time trying to fight it with her eyes closed and the great snake’s scales being impervious to magic.

Hedwig clawed at the Basilisk’s eyes on their arrival, destroying one of his deadliest weapons. As the beast swatted her away with his tail, Hedwig cried out for aid. Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix, heard the cry and raced down to the chamber, alerting Dumbledore to the issue as he did.

Harry wielded his as yet largely untrained magic and beginner sword skills to combat the beast. Still, he was quickly backed into a corner.

The King of Snakes struck and all Harry could do was hold the Sword of Gryfindor aloft. The blade bit into the beast’s brainstem as it’s fang tore Harry’s forearm open. The offending fang broke off when it got stuck in his wrist bone. Harry ripped it from his flesh and stabbed it into the heart of the nearby book.

The phantasm that was Tom Riddles memories began to fade, bleeding from the pages as ink.

Ginny Weaslly gained some colour in her cheeks, but remained unconscious.

Fawkes arrived in time to cry on the wound, which leeched the poison and saved Harry’s life.

Hermione began to stir as he grabbed the book, Hedwig, and touched the body of the snake for an elf to pop them all back to the estate in France.

In her third year, Hermione had been given a time turner. Harry and Sirius raged at the British government. Who, in good conscious, gives any thirteen year old the power to screw with time no matter how good a student she is?

She saved a hippogriff, but also created several time paradoxes that would have torn the school, and most of Scotland, asunder.

Again, Harry with Sirius in toe, stepped in to repair what damage they could.

Of course, no one even remotely tied to the school, parents, staff, education ministers in the government, and even journalists who had written about the school that year, remembered the year and so were a year older than they thought. Harry and Hermione were in fact 18 at present, but since everyone thought Harry should be in the same year as her, they had registered him to attend in seventh year without issue.

Since Sirius and Harry were at the epicenter of the fix and retained the time turner that had caused the problems, they remembered. Harry suspected that Hermione may have some memory fragments and remember all that she learned that year without recalling how or when she’d learned it, an effect of using the time turner repeatedly.

Repeat third year found Hermione, along with her friends Neville and Luna, facing down a dragon riding Death Eater. Surprisingly, they dealt with it before Harry could lend aid.

Fourth year was quiet. Everyone was preoccupied with the triwizard tournament. Crum had tried to coerce Hermione into sex after the yule ball, but she dealt with that easily enough with an impotence charm. To Harry’s knowledge, the famous seeker still had issues in that department as none of his groupies had gotten pregnant since.

Harry had been grateful. That was the year he fought Voldemort, wearing Lucious Malfoy’s meat suit, in Godric’s Hollow. He had beaten the dark tosser by absorbing the abomination’s power, ripping the last remnant of his soul from his own mind, and tossing it through the veil at the Ministry.

Fifth year, Hermion spent in the library studying for OWLs. She got perfect Outstandings across the board. She also began work on the animagus transformation, but the process just to make the potion was laborious and time intensive. She didn’t get far.

Surprisingly, sixth year was again quiet. Hermione felt a sense of abandonment as Ron flitted from girl to girl, paying her very little attention. She wasn’t jealous, but with Ginny busy with OWLs, Luna on a retreat with her father, and Neville preoccupied with the death of his Gran, Hermione felt rather alone indeed.

After all he’d seen, Harry was convinced Hermion was one of the contenders as his soulmate. Luna, Ginny, and, most shockingly of all since Harry had never felt drawn to men before, Draco were the other probabilities.

As such, it was most disappointment to see the look of wonder on Hermione’s face. Even if she had been the one, Harry didn’t think he could bear a fangirl for long. Certainly not as a romantic companion.

***

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Potter."

An attendant broke Harry from his reverie. He returned to the train with a shake of his head. The man before him was dressed in a smart crisp uniform and offered a bow when he knew he had Harry's attention. "My name is Christopher, sir, and I'm her to show you to your car. May I take your luggage, sir?"

"Thank you." Harry offered his trunk with a nod and followed Christopher further into the train. Behind him, Hermione slipped out of the car and watched him stride down the hall for a moment before Ron called her back in.

Christopher led him past the Prefect car into an even nicer section of the train. The doors to these cars were solid oak with a noble house's sigil carved into the center of each. The attendant opened the door with the griffin and stag on it and stood aside for Harry to enter first.

The car was luxury on display. Plush red carpet that Harry sunk down an inch on, scenic paintings on the walls, a heavy oak table, and a large L shaped sofa that could easily fit twice as many people as the regular cars.

"The door to your right is the bedroom if sir would like to take a nap and to the left is the washroom. This button by the door will summon me should you need anything." Christopher stored his trunk above the sofa as he spoke. "Will you be needing anything now sir?"

"No Thank you." .

"Enjoy the trip, sir. Your key." He handed Harry a small silver keg before bowing out of the car and closing the door softly behind him.

"Nice chap. I wonder how scandalized he'd be if I told him to call me Harry." Despite stroking her feathers the way she liked, Hedwig still purposefully ignored him. "Alright girl."

Harry transfigured a wall panel by the window into a comfortable wooden perch for her and propped the window open.

"Go on. I'll see you later." She butted her head against his cheek with a soft coo, before unfurling her wings and soaring out into the air. She kept pace with the train for a few moments before peeling off over the field that stretched toward rolling hills in the distance and small patches of forest.

With a last look around the sitting room, Harry left and locked the car. Retracing his steps, he nocked on the Prefect car, the only one besides the private quarters you couldn't see into from outside. A pretty East Indian girl's eyes widened as she stepped aside to let him in.

"Hello," he said to the room of stunned teens. "I thought I'd introduce myself as I am transferring into Hogwarts this year. Harry Potter." He offered his hand to the girl standing beside him.

"Padma Patil." Her gorgeous chocolate eyes looked him over as they shook hands.

"Cedric Diggory," said a dirty blond fellow, with a lithe frame and arrogant cast to his mouth, as he stood to shake his hand. "Padma and I were just leaving to make the rounds. See ya." He pulled a reluctant Padma after him into the hall.

Patil. Harry recognized the name from a marriage contract he'd received shortly after taking his title. Padma and her sister Pevarti had been offered as choices, however the loose terms of the contract had suggested he was welcome to both. The proposed stipulations had favored Harry to the extreme and he watched the girl leave wondering if she knew she'd been offered as trade to increase her family’s social standing. Not knowing who he would find to be his soulmate, he hadn't accepted or rejected any contracts, though that one had deeply disturbed him. It promised the girls would be ‘pure in body and soul’, which was a very dangerous thing for a witch to be at seventeen.

"Pansy Parkinson," a woman purred from the car, bringing Harry's attention back. She sauntered the few steps to him and slid her pale soft hand into his. Dark hair framed her face in a pixie bob. Her nose was straight and tipped up at the point to enhance her perfect pure-blood haughter. Dark calculating eyes looked up at him from under thick eyelashes.

"Charmed," he said and let her hand drop perhaps a tad quicker than was polite. He strode quickly to the last person in the cabin.

"Draco Malfoy."

He shook the pale blond, hand, passing him a folded piece of parchment as he did and whispered just loud enough for the boy to hear, "Hello Andy."

Draco stiffened and his eyes widened slightly before he got himself under control.

"Pansy, go figure out where Granger and Longbottom have hidden themselves. We can't be the only ones doing patrols."

"But- "

"Go."

Pansy pouted and walked off with a huff and more sway to her hips than was necessary.

"Lord Potter," Draco said, the cold command he tossed at Pansy absent. "How-"

"Not here. Follow me." Harry led the other boy back to his cabin, locked them in, and cast both a silencing and anti-eavesdropping charm on the room before nodding for Draco to continue.

"That name."

"A nickname from a mutual acquaintance. She thought you might need some proof that that came from her." Harry nodded at the scrap of parchment in the other boy's hands. "I didn't read it."

A slight tremor ran through Draco 5 hands as he unfolded the note. His eyes glassed over and he sunk to the couch.

**Andy,  
I'm well thanks to the note bearer and their father. Every day I wish I had brought you with me, but know HE would hunt us relentlessly. One day I hope to be reunited. Until then, all my love.**

It was cryptic. It had to be. She was alive. Silent tears tracked down Draco's face. No love was ever lost between his mother, Narcissa, and father, Lucius, but after Lucius had given himself, body and magic, to Voldemort, their lives tumbled into the abyss.

When the Dark Lord died at the hands of the then fifteen year old and left Lucius a powerless man with a broken mind, several other Death Eaters blamed Lucius. He turned vicious and beat Narcissa within an inch of her life. During her recovery in St. Mungo’s, Draco had snuck her a shrunken trunk and told her to flee. Nearly two years past and this was the first he'd heard. The first time he knew she'd survived her flight.

Draco read the note three times, committing it to memory before ripping it to shreds and tossing the remains out the window as they sped over a river. He wiped his eyes and turned to find Harry had given him as much privacy as possible by moving to the kitchenette to fix them tea.

When Harry turned and placed the tea tray on the table, Draco knelt on the plush carpet by his feet.

"Don't do anything-"

"I, Draco Andromeda Malfoy, heir to the house of Malfoy, swear by my life, blood, and magic to serve and protect you Lord Harry James Potter of the Proud House of Potter, in whatever capacity you'll have me until you break my bond or I die in your service." The blond teen looked up steel blue eyes meeting jade green and waited for the response that would shape the course of his life.

"Stupid." Rather than disrespect Draco and his house by rejecting the bond, Harry straightened his spine and considered his words carefully before responding. "I, Lord Harry James Potter of House Potter, accept your bond and loyalty as my liegeman and friend Draco Andromeda Malfoy heir to the house of that fog. I accept the responsibility to respect and protect you and yours as your liege lord." Both boys shuddered as the magical bond settled on them. "Get up. What were you thinking doing a thing like that? And that wording? I could have made you a slave bound tighter and with less rights than a house elf!”

"My Lord." Draco inclined his head. "you saved my mother and keep her safe even now. That's a debt I can't repay. Still, I’ve got to ask, could you get a letter back to her? "He stood, hope shining in eyes.

"I can't promise anything. I'll pass it on to Sirius, but I don't know how difficult it is to get in contact with her. He won’t send it if it puts any of us in danger. Lucius has many agents looking for her" Harry clasped the other boy's shoulders. "She's Sirius's family, which makes her, and you, my family. There is no debt between us. However, you did get your fool self into that bond and there's not much to do about that now."

Draco grinned. "Yea, well. The bond goes both ways." He looked at his fingers in wonder. "You had no reason to be so generous with the bond. To make me your liegeman. I can already feel the extra power flowing through me.

You know, I was all set to hate you. I blamed you for-for my mom leaving. After you killed HIM, my father, well, you know, but damn. If this is just a taste of your magic I'm certainly glad I'm on your side."

Harry snorted. “Well none of this ‘Lord Potter' crap at school. Harry is just fine. People are going to be surprised enough we're Chummy given your father's allegiances. No need to let them think it's anything more than youthful rebellion."

"You bet. Come on. Let's get out of here. I’m sure Pansy is looking for you. Don't want to give her any ideas." Draco winked.

Harry groaned and they left the cabin together.

***

When the train finally arrived at Hogsmeade after a little more than nine hours, students poured out of the train weary but excited. The first years, nervous and flocked like sheep, were shepherded away by a boisterous cheery Hagrid. He would have asked Harry to join them, but Draco was already leading him to a carriage.

Harry, of course, could see the thestrals and gave their’s a pat.

"Pretty, aren't they?" Luna startled him as she came up to offer his thestral a sugar cube.

"Most find them terrifying."

"Misunderstood. Like death. People think they're bad luck you know, but they only choose to show themselves to those who've experienced loss. They're kind souls trying to ease the suffering of others. I think that's beautiful."

"Me too."

"I know you Harry Potter."

"Most people do, Luna Lovegood."

"No. Most people know of you." She lay her hand on his arm and the dreamy look melted frame her features until she stared into his very being with all seriousness. "I know your loss. Your pain. The loneliness you keep as a constant companion. I see you, Boy Who Longs to Live. We'll chase away the loneliness."

"We?"

"Yes. Me and the others."

"Who are the others?"

She shook her head, broke contact, and the dreamy look returned. "Not my place. You'll see. Or you won't. Nothing is certain with you."

"What about you?"

"I go where I'm needed. Do what I can. Most think I'm useless."

"I don't. I see you."

"I see you Harry." She offered him a smile and a kiss on the cheek before gliding off to join her friends in the next carriage.

Hermione watched him from the carriage with a calculating look on her face. But not jealousy. Why would she be jealous?

"It's natural," Luna said in her soft way as she settled beside Hermione in the carriage. "But we work it out."

The white-haired wisp of a girl curled up on the seat and lay her head in Hermione’s lap. She stroked the girls hair, not questioning her ability to seemingly answer her thoughts nor thinking too hard about the answers.

***

"Figures you can see them too," Draco muttered as they both climbed aboard the carriage.

“You can?"

Draco only nodded, looking haunted. "They should really tell the students during first year. Anyway," Draco shook his head, "this is Crabbe, Goyle, you be met Parkinson, and that's Blaise Zabini."

Crabbe and Goyle could have been related. They were both large and flat faced with vacant expressions as they nodded at Harry, perplexed. Their confusion made sense. Both their parents, like Lucius, were known Death Eaters and had been amongst Voldemort’s inner circle. Only their pure-blood status and claims that they'd been under the imperius curse kept them from Azkaban.

Blaise barely acknowledged Harry's presence, his nose was too high in the air and a look of derision, which very well could have been permanent, occupied his face. He had dark skin, black close cropped hair, and cold coal eyes. Though all the others wore Slytherin robes as well, Zabini's were of a much more expensive cloth.

Harry instantly disliked everyone. but they were Draco's friends, so he grit his teeth and played nice during the bumpy ride to the castle.

"Mr. Potter," McGonagall called from the front steps. "Follow me if you please."

Harry, grateful to be away from the group of Slytherins, headed off at a brisk pace. She led him through the milling, yammering students and past the Great Hall. Around back, there were a series of small rooms. She stopped outside the door of the first.

"I'm surprised at your companions Harry," she said.

"I had business with Draco on the train," he shrugged. "It would have been rude to decline the offer."

"Ahh," she still looked disproving.

"Don't worry Aunt Min," he said. "I didn't much care for their company."

The affectionate nickname disarmed her, and she pulled Harry into a hug with a gentle grin. "I've waited far too long to meet you Harry." Clearing her throat, she stepped back and straightened his tie. "Now Mr. Potter, the first years are through here. You'll wait with them for the sorting."

"With all due respect Professor, I won't be putting on the sorting hat."

She stared at him blankly. "That's not an option."

"I am not amenable to having anyone, human or otherwise, rifling through my head."

She took a quick look around and lowered her voice. "The sorting hat isn't able to act on anything it learns beyond sorting you. It is also incapable, and I mean truly incapable, of divulging anything it learns to anyone else. Anyone at all."

Harry contemplated this for several moments. "There's no way magical or mundane that could force it to reveal anything?"

"None. The founders valued their privacy and in their day used the hat as a sort of psychologist."

"Patient confidentiality."

"Precisely."

Harry nodded and entered the room. Thirty some odd startled pairs of eyes watched him. All chatter ceased.

"Hello," he said. "I’m Harry Potter. It might take a bit of work, but I'd like to learn all your names before we go out there together."

After a short pause, one slight girl with wild hair and storm grey eyes marched up to him and stuck out her hand.

"Astoria Greengrass. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She said it all in a bit of a rush but with all the authority of her noble house. "What are you in here for? You're so old!"

Several of the others chuckled nervously. "Well, this is my first year in Hogwarts too."

"Will they make it harder cause you're with us?" a kid called from the back.

"The sorting isn't hard at all. Did the older kids say you had to fight something?"

Some of them said vampires, others ogres, giants, or werewolves. The most alarming was Astoria who went a shade paler and shuffled her feet.

"Dementors."

Rage boiled inside Harry. It took significant force of will to speak calmly. "Who told you a thing like that?"

"Doesn't matter." She wouldn't meet his eye. After taking a deep breath, Harry stood from the couch he'd been talking to Astoria from.

"Listen," he took the girl's hand but spoke to the room at large, "you won't have to fight any of those things. You won't have to do much of anything. Professor McGonagall will call your name and put a special hat on your head. After figuring out your personality, and maybe getting your opinion, it will sort you into a house. That's it."

Several kids looked reassured, but more than half, Astoria included, still seemed unsure. "Okay, here's what we'll do." He knelt down so he was on their level and stage whispered so they all leaned in. "Do you know what a patronus is?" Several head shakes and a few looks of deep concentration. "It's a magical guardian made of someone's happiest thoughts. It's protected me from dementors loads of times. How about we make one together and it will walk each of you through the hall?"

The kids nodded enthusiastically. "Make a circle and join hands." Harry kept Astoria's but kept his other free to wield his wand. "Think of your happiest thought. Not something small like a good dessert. Think about the very best moment of your life and let it fill you right up. Got it?" All the kids closed their eyes and one by one nodded with big smiles on their faces.

"Hold onto it. Ready?" He counted down from three and said, “Expecto Patronum.” Silver light shot from the end of his wand and formed into a silvery blue stag seven feet tall and sporting a glorious rack of antlers in the centre of their circle. Gasps rang out through the kids and Astoria sank to her knees.

"He beautiful," she said. Harry beamed. She didn't look nervous at all.

"Now take out your wands. Creating one of these is very hard work and I don't want any of you to try just yet. That said, we're going to tie this guy to you so he can feel you and feed you back those happy emotions, okay? Who wants to go first?"

Astoria shot to her feet, her hand straining toward the ceiling. Harry chuckled and brought her to the stag.

"Alright, now think of that happy memory again and place the tip of your wand lightly on his nose. That's right. Now say ' _Praesidio_."

When she did, a spark went off. When she stepped away a thin silver wisp connected the chest of the stag to Astoria's wand.

"Perfect. Next." An ash blond boy with pale golden eyes stepped into the circle. "What's your name?”

"Caspar, Sir."

"Well Caspar, I'm Harry. Now, just like Astoria."

One by one he learned each of their names and had them connect to the patronus. It grew brighter with every connection. Soon all thirty three first years were milling around talking excitedly and stroking the stag.

McGonagall arrived in time to watch Harry cast the patronus and didn’t interrupt as he guided each through forging the connection. She'd never seen anything like it. Patronus charms could protect areas, such as an audience or jury during a trial with dementors present, but they were never connected to anyone but the caster. After a few minutes of stunned observation she cleared her throat to grab the room's attention.

"We're about to begin. Follow me please." She led them to the doors of the Great Hall and had them line up in alphabetical order. The stag patrolled up and down their line diligently and followed Caspar Avery out when he was called.

There were audible gasps from the hall as an eleven year old walked out accompanied by a charm most of the seventh years hadn't mastered. They could see his pale connection, and the stronger cord that stretched back to the double doors.

The patronus walked Caspar to the stool, waited for him to be sorted into Ravenclaw despite his family's Slytherin centric history, and walked him to his table among enthusiastic cheers before returning to collect Brianna Castellon.

Each first year walked confidently with their wand to their side and the stag escorting them.

After all of the first years were at their house tables, McGonagall’s magically amplified voice ran out once more.

"I'm pleased to announce one more student joining our ranks for his seventh year, Lord Harry Potter."

Silence swept over the great hall. Harry walked out and grinned. There was a wider gap down the center of the hall to accommodate the statues that hadn't diminished from his qualifier.

He sauntered unconcerned under the ceiling, enchanted to reflect the night sky. A few feet from the statues, he stopped and cocked his head. With a flick of his wand and a muttered _imbuio_ , the stag cantered toward the statues. It faded into the quartz statue which pulsed with light. As the light faded, Harry thought his little experiment a failure when all of the first years' wands pulsed, the silver tethers brightening, and the statue sprang to life. It cantered around the hall, diamond hooves ringing like silver bells on the cobblestone, before returning to Harry’s side and proceeding to the stool.

Harry sat and looked to McGonagall expectantly. Her stern expression never wavered, but there was a twinkle in Her grey green eyes. With a quiet tssk she dropped the sorting hat on his head.  
"Ahh. Harry Potter,” it said in his mind. "You're late."

“I had business to attend to."

"You have business here. Neat trick, the stag. You'll need all the protection you can get. Old sores fester, new loyalties bind, and even the most resilient stone yields to the wind, water, and relentless passage of time."

"Got anything a little less cryptic for me?"

"You ever read a novel, Potter? Figure it out, chosen one."

The hat broke the silence that had once more settled over the hall to shout, "The heir of Gryffindor graces these halls. Glory to the sleeping Dragon, King of Beasts, Champion of Light, Lord Harry James Potter, first of his name." The sorting hat's mouth stitched itself closed and it was merely a patch worked hat once more.

Great. One more thing to mark him different.

Silence once again sat heavily in the hall until Astoria stood on the bench at the Slytherin table and began clapping and hollering. Draco, the first years, and most of the Gryffindor tabled quickly followed suit. Everyone else clapped politely but looked dazed.

Harry, accompanied by the glowing crystalline stag, walked over to the Gryffindor table. Neville and a kid he didn't know but who enthusiastically introduced himself as Seamus Finnigan, made space for him.

Several moments passed before Dumbledore was able to take control of the room.

"An enthusiastic greeting to all the new students. This year is already shaping up to be as exciting as ever. Just two reminders before we dig into our scrumptious meal. First, the aptly named Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden to all students, baring lessons on magical creatures by Professor Hagrid. Second, our caretaker, Mr. Fitch, has prominently posted a list of banned items in each common room. Please do not be caught with any such items."

Harry grimaced at the loose wording and mischerious expression that accompanied the second announcement. No wonder the school was a madhouse; the headmaster was a crackpot old fool.  
Once Luna had spent an appropriate amount of time at the Ravenclaw table, she came to sit in the space left between Hermione and Harry. Draco tracked the odd girl with his eyes, wishing he had the nerve to join her. Crabe and Goylee were being particularly intolerable lately.

“The table is gorgeous Harry,” Luna said as she sat. “Thank you. I feel like it’s a present just for me.”

“Well, now it is,” Harry said with a smile and willed a small plack to appear at the end of the Ravenclaw table dedicating the feather pattern to her. “But how did you know I did it?”

“Your energy. It’s all over the place in the great hall and linked to the school too. I felt it other years too, have you been visiting us?”

“Perhaps,” he gave the inquisitive girl a smile and pulled her closer.

The stag chose that moment to wander back over from entertaining the Hufflepuffs. It breathed in the top of Luna’s head. The smell of honeysuckle and daisies startled Harry as the stag projected the scent to him somehow.

Luna giggled and learned back against the stag, trusting it with her weight and raising her arms to stroke it’s ears.

She gasped.

“He’s soft!”

“Of course,” Harry said, “he’s a stag.”

“Made of crystals!”

“So?”

“Oh I do like you quite a lot ‘Champion of the Light’.” She kissed his cheek. “We will have such fun this year.”

After the feast, Hermione and Neville gathered up the first years, while Ron stood off to the side, glaring dangers at the other boy.

Harry joined the twelve Gryffindor first years, accompanied by the stag. The connection to their wands broke when it became corporeal, but the living statue seemed to have an affinity for the youngsters and bent down to let them play on him.

"Mind if I join?" He asked the two head prefects.

"Not at all. Neville Longbottom." The boys shook hands.

"Hermione Granger." She scrutinised him as they too shook.

"Harry Potter,” he said. "Pleasure. I read an article about you right? When you took your OWLs. Something about the brightest witch of our age."

"That's our Hermione," Neville said, throwing his arm around her. At that point, the Weasley boy barged in.

"Oi, going to forget about me are you?"

"This is Ron Weasley," Hermione said with an eye roll. "Ron this Harry."

"No shite. We all know who he is. Was he saying he read about you?"

"That Witch Weekly article I sent you after OWLs?”

Ron waved her off. "That's a bit creepy mate."

Harry arched an eyebrow.

"I mean reading about Hermione in a chick magazine. Why would a bloke read that?"

"I find that if you take an interest in what women are interested in, there's something to talk about when I am fortunate enough to win their company. Besides, I was considering attending Hogwarts and was interested in what they had to say about my beautiful and genius future peer."

Hermione's gently rounded cheeks took on a rosy hue and she tilted her head to let her wavy chestnut hair obsoure her shy smile.

Ron, however, looked anything but pleased. “Like I said. Creepy. Sussing her out like that. Hermione’s not all that interesting."

With a huff, she pushed past Ron and trotted from the hall with a call over here should to Harry and the first years. Harry chuckled and made to follow, but Ron's hand on his shoulder stopped him. All mirth leached from his face as he swatted the offending hand away.

"Look mate, I'm sure you're used to being the hottest thing around, but Hermoine’s not a girl you play around with like that. I don't need you filling her head with nonsense."

"Whose playing games? I find witches enjoy compliments from time to time and I quite enjoy watching them beam under the attention."

"Give your attention to some other witch. She's taken."

"Oh? You two are a couple?"

"Well, not quite."

"But you've been on a date? Asked her out?” When Harry’s questions made Ron shift uncomfortably and mumble in the negative, he continued. “Told her your feelings? Bought her flowers? Have a plan to ask her out?"

"Yes! Course I plan to ask her out, you know, after school. When I'm ready to get serious."

"And you just expect everyone to stay away from the smartest witch of our year and for her to bide her valuable time until you're ready to stop messing around with other witches?"

"Look mate. Hermione's mine. We're going to get married. Everyone knows it. Hell. I’m doing her a favor."

"How do you figure?"

"She's Muggle born. I might not have money or do fancy tricks with snot nosed brats, but my family is just as good as yours, mate."

"Let's get a few things straight. I'm not your mate nor have I given you leave to be informal with me. Hermione is brilliant and can make up her own mind, not that you've let her know you're an option. If you touch me in such a way again I will liquify the bones of the offending appendage. Finally, being from a good family doesn't stop you from being an intolerable git." He said the whole thing cheerily, with a pleasant smile. "Good night Mr. Weasley.”

It didn't take long to catch up with the others. Hermione was explaining the moving staircases and history behind some of the portraits on the walls to the exhausted first years.

"There you are Mr. Potter, keep up please." She was leading the group a little ahead of the stag with three first years crammed onto its back. Harry fell in step with Neville bringing up the rear.

"He give you 'the talk' on your first night here? Either you're far too charming for your own good or he’s more insecure than I thought."

"Has he told you off too?"

Neville nodded. "Beginning of second year he made a big announcement to the entire common room while she studied in the library. We never took him very seriously, but Hermione's never seemed interested in dating." He thought for a moment. "Well, she went to the Yule Ball with Victor Crum in fourth year, but I don't think anything much came of it. She seemed pretty depressed after that and avoided all of us for a while."

Harry's eyes narrowed. That would be rapist had gotten off far too easily. "Do the guys listen to Weasley's trollop then?"

"I'm not sure. some of the guys are intimidated by her. Not me mind. but some."

“Have you asked her out?"

Neville nodded. "We went to Hogsmeade together a few times last year. Drove Ron mental. Felt more like we were just hanging out. Anytime either of us tried for romance it got downright awkward. Neither of us got hung up on it. It was a relief to get back to normal."

The pair walked in silence for a time. Harry watched Hermione almost verbatim quote all of Hogwarts a History as they made their way to the Gryffindor dorms. Every once in a while she would tell a personal anecdote, but Harry chuckled at how smoothly she avoided any of the dangerous aspects of her time here or anything that even resembled rule breaking.

"You know, I certainly wouldn't get in your way. Some fun would do her some good. If anyone has earned it, it's Hermione."

"Thanks. I might. I know this probably sounds insane, but she’s been staring at me a little too intently for my taste.”

“That,” Neville said looking uncomfortable, “has nothing to do with being star struck, if that’s what you’re worried about. Our Hermione is very down to earth.”

“Then why?”

Neville glanced guiltily at Hermione and thought for several minutes.

“Look, don’t mention it. She’ll probably bring it up soon herself. A few years ago, she got mixed up in the Chamber of Secrets. You read about what happened?”

Harry nodded, feeling uneasy.

“She couldn’t remember killing the thing like the articles praised her for. Claimed she saw some black haired kid apparate in, but that’s impossible. Told her not to make a big deal and just take the credit.”

Harry paled. He had thought she might have gotten a look at him, but figured the stress of the situation would cover for him. When nothing came of it, he assumed she didn’t remember.

“You were there?” Neville whispered excitedly.

“I killed it.” Harry revealed the jagged scar from his inner elbow to his wrist on his left arm. “Sword of Gryffindor through the roof of the mouth. Didn’t account for the teeth being retractable. They extended further as I struck. Almost died. Didn’t.”

“That is not how you tell a story.”

“It’s not really the company to go into the gory details,” he said, indicating Astoria and Caspar who promptly went back to pretending to listen to Hermione.

***

After Neville and Hermione got the kids settled in their dorms, they came back to the common area.

"Neville, would you mind showing Harry where the private quarters are?"

"What?"

"The ones McGonagall said would open when Harry was sorted." She continued at Neville's blank look. "For any students of the sacred twenty-eight who took on the family title before graduating.”

"Ah. Right, those. Where did she say they'd pop up again?"

“I'll just show him myself," she said with an exasperated head shake. Then, a little nervously, "you don't mind, do you Harry?"

"Not a bit. Lead on."

Neville winked at him as he passed and Harry had to hold back a laugh.

"You're going to his room? Ain't that a bit inappropriate Hermione?" Ron barked from a plush red chair in front of the hearth.

"Calm down Ronald. It's not like I'm going to jump him." She led Harry to the bare six foot patch of wall between the staircases up to either side of the dorms. "Press your ring flat to the wall please."

When he did, the bricks shifted to either side and created an archway. Through the new entry was a short hallway with two doors to either side. "Pick one," she instructed.

Once he did, he placed his ring against the door dead center. His sigil bloomed on the door, at Hermione’s instruction, and they heard the lock click.

"Well there you go. No one will be able to get in without your ring or an invitation. Have a good night."

She turned to go, but he called her back.

"Would you like a peek inside?"

Hermione worried her bottom lip looking at the rich Cherrywood door.

"It would drive Weasley mental, and I promise to be a perfect gentleman."

She glanced back to the common room, where Neville smiled encouragement and Ron's face grew a darker shade of red than his hair. The pure possessive rage in his eyes cinched it. With a determined nod, she turned the handle and led Harry into his own room.

"What outrageous nepotism," Harry said leaving the door open. Whether he did so on purpose or not, she was grateful.

Together they explored His personal sitting room. Like the train car, it had a state of the art kitchenette in one corner complete with a full oven, fridge, island, and small pantry. There was a small high table with bar stools adjacent. There was a leather loveseat and two recliners set to view a sleek TV and a stained glass window.

The bedroom, which Hermione blushed to discover, was the door to the left of the kitchenette. It contained a large four poster bed, drawers, what Harry found to be a walk in closet, and Harry's trunk at the foot of the bed.

There were two doors on the left wall of the sitting room. One lead to a spacious bathroom complete with vanity and black marble jacuzzi style tub. The second led to a room that had Hermione groaning with envy. A large oak desk sat against the left wall. The right was taken up with a floor to ceiling bookcase, and the far wall was one giant window overlooking the lake and forest beyond.

"This is ridiculous." Harry bellowed. "Here I am with all this wealth and renown that I did nothing to earn. I come to a school that is meant to serve all magical children and they give me a gilded suite? Why? Because of my last name? Because I'm the only one of my family to survive?" Harry was pacing the living room now. "This pathetic display shouldn't exist. IF it must it should go to you."

"Me?" Hermione looked bewildered and a little nervous. Of course she did. He was raving like a lunatic. He took a deep breath.

"Yes," he said, calming down and taking her hand. She let him. "You are brilliant. You're top of the school and head girl to boot. You take your responsibilities seriously and, from what I saw today, give 110% to those kids upstairs. You've earned something like this Hermione. I merely benefit off an outdated nobility system."

She looked flabbergasted and flattered, leaving her speechless, which any of her peers would point out was a rare occurrence indeed.

"I am sorry for my outburst. People have treated me like someone to be revered. They have no respect for my privacy, have unreasonable expectations, and ply me with frivolous junk I don't need." He indicated the rooms with his free hand.

"Many people would take your place in a heartbeat."

"No. They think they would. No one wants their family murdered for a prophecy, that may not be about them, by a madman on a power trip. No one wants to live with a piece of that creature leaching their life away since they were a baby and then nearly die ripping him from your soul and casting the remains into the void." He paused for several minutes, rubbing circles into the back of her soft hand with his thumb . Her middle finger was indented and calloused, the tip of her pointer finger also rough from taking notes.

"When it comes down to it, "he continued quietly. "no one wants to be famous. Not really. Sure, they think they do. After a week they'd complain they miss their anonymity."

"But think of what you can do."

He looked at her quizzically.

"Those kids tonight. I bet they were terrified. I nearly fainted first year and I didn't have an older sibling feeding me lies. You gave them courage. You gave them a memory and story they'll repeat to everyone who'll listen their whole lives. You say the system is corrupt and outdated? You have the political power to change it.” She squeezed his hand before letting go. He walked her to the door, smiling as they went.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Would you accompany me to Hogsmeade our first weekend there?"

"As a guide?"

"For a date, but yes you'll have to pick the place."

"Oh. Well I- " she blushed but held his gaze. "Yes. I'd like that. Thank you."

"No. Thank you. "He took her hand once more and brought it to his lips. "Goodnight."

“Goodnight," she breathed.

"What the hell was that?" Ron exploded as she walked back into the common room.

"Excuse me?"

"Kissing your hand like some prim noble. What a tosser. And bringing you into his room?"

"He was a proper gentleman Ronald." Hands on hips and happiness from earlier quite extinguished, she stared down her oldest friend.

"What's all this shooting," Harry said on entering the common room. "the first years are trying to sleep."

"You," Ron spat. "I told you.”

"Told him what?" Hermione spoke quieter now but her glare said her temper was far from exhausted. When Ron stayed silent, she marched over to him. "Told. Him. What?"

"Well, you know, that we'll be getting together."

"Oh we will? And when might that be? "Her voice was eerily calm. A calm that had all others in the room wincing. Ron, however, barged ahead.

"After school. When I'm-when we're ready to settle down. You know, have a family." Ron gave what he must have considered a winning grin. Hermione sent a chilling one back. The oaf seemed to take encouragement from that.

"A family. And who, pray tell, is going to mind the kids?"

"Well that's a witch's job while the husband earns a wage. Don’t worry. Mom says it is the most worthwhile and noble job there is.”

"And if I wanted to, say, go to university?"

"Blimey Hermione why'd you want to do a thing like that? You already know everything. And I think that's alright, me, you being smart."

"Oh you think that's alright do you? As long as I don't do anything with it, sit at home and raise a family. So what did you tell him Ron?" She jabbed a finger back at Harry. "Did you tell him I was taken? Off limits? Staked out like some piece of property?"

"C' mon Hermione," he whined. "Don't be like that. You know we are supposed to be together. I mean, why do you think I’ve stuck by you so long? Been your friend when everyone thought you were quirky an irritating?”

“Because we were friends you intolerable dolt! And now I find out you’ve been beating off anyone who might take an interest with me? While you screw everyone who will let you put your grimy paws on them?”

“It's not like you could do any better being muggle born and all. But I'm okay with that. Mom and Dad are too."

"And did Ron tell any of the rest of you that he'd be doing me this favour?"

None of the other boys would meet her gaze except Neville.

"He warned us all off second year," he said. "Most of the guys in the other houses too."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I should have. None of us took him seriously and you didn't seem much into dating."

"Is that why we- "

"No! Of course not. We're better as friends, Hermione. We both said so. I'm sorry. For the record, I only ever tolerated him because of you. It was never the other way round.”

“Oi!” Ron said, but was ignored.

She nodded and offered Neville a sad smile. Then her eyes hardened and she turned back to Ron.

"But you, Ronald Weasley, you are a lazy pretentious git who can't see past his wounded pride. You think the world owes you something for sitting back on your fat arse. It doesn't. I don't. I'm not going to waste my life taking care of some self-centered dimwit and his spawn. I'm going to go to school. I'm going to have a wonderful career. I'm going to shape the future and you, Ronald, can keep your simple little life.

I would be fine on my own, but there are several wizards and muggles alike who would take me as I am, treat me as I deserve, and are in every other way better than you!

How dare you try to claim me. To control me. To keep me in your back pocket as assurance once you're done playing games. I can't believe I ever thought of you as a friend."

She stormed off to the stairs up to the girl's dorms but turned with one foot on the bottom step.

"And you," she said pointing at Harry. “I’ll see you in the common room at 9:30 on Saturday for our date." The fire in her eyes was different, still furious, but also excited and triumphant. She was glorious. "There's lots to see."

"Yes Ma 'am."

The room was silent after Hermione trounced up the stairs. Neville came over to clap Harry on the back.

"Good luck mate. By the way, if she says she doesn't want to go to the bookshop, take her anyway. It might take up most of the day, but it'll make her happier than anything else."

"She's just trying to make me jealous," Ron said. "You'll see. You can borrow her Potter, but don't try anything. No use hurting her like that."

"Oh I could never hurt her as badly as you just did, Weasel."

"That was your fault! If you had just listened-"

"I don't make giving in to petulant children a habit. It tends to make them believe they can take whatever they want. Now, I'd suggest you stop talking before you piss me off."

"Whatcha going to do Potter? Fight me?"

Harry turned to leave.

"Oi! I'm talking to you, you entitled prick. You think you can make my girl reem me out like that and just walk away? Face me like a proper man you pansy."

Rage flared, not at the insults to himself, but that the Weasel continued to treat Hermione like a possession. A trinket whose feelings and opinions didn’t even register to him, much less matter. Harry turned and his voice rang with authority.

"Ronald Weasley is on probation and must seek permission to enter the Gryffindor living space. Permission he currently does not possess."

“Who the hell do you think you- " Before he could finish his sentence, Ron flew through the common room and sailed out the open portrait entrance, which snapped shut behind him.

"I promise never to abuse my power as Heir of Gryffindor. However, can we all agree Ron deserved that?"

There were enough stunned nods to satisfy him.

"Good. He must be formally invited back in. Any Gryffindor may do so, but I'd appreciate it very much if you'd let Hermione do so this time." More nods. Harry walked toward his door to the sound of Nevilles' raucous laughter.

***

The next day, a rather rumpled Ron quickly caught on that Hermione was the only one who might let him back in the dorms. Only, Hermione wasn't talking to him and had, in fact, put up a magical barrier immediately that made it so he didn’t have to listen to him yammer on. Luckily, Ron had only taken enough courses to continue at the school. So, when Harry and Hermione left care of magical creatures for potions, they were able to leave him behind.

"Alright, now what's all this about having to let Ron back in? Ginny mentioned something to that effect last night, but I needed to get some sleep."

"He's not allowed into Gryffindor tower until someone welcomes him in. I asked our housemates to let that someone be you, and it seems they've agreed."

"And he's just going along with this?"

"I'm the heir of Gryffindor."

Her eyes went wide in recognition of the power that gave.

"I must apologize though," he said. "I had no idea he was dense enough to keep pestering you."

Neville, who was walking with them, burst out laughing. "Being dense is practically Ron's whole personality."

It was a testament to how furious Hermione was with him that she merely snorted without a word in his defense.

Potions came and went, the only point of note being that Slughorn rather excitedly invited both Harry and Hermione to dinner with some other "notable" students. Harry, knowing the offer smacked of preferential treatment and would be full of stuffy pure-bloods tooting their own horn, was about to refuse, when Hermione jumped in to accept for both of them.

"What gives?" He whispered once Slughorn moved on.

"Parties like that are how you build connections. They may be a bunch of odious teens right now, but next year many of them will be odious adults with very important places in our society. Now is the time to make connections."

"And if I don't give a toss for making those connections?"

"Then come for me? I've been stranded alone at these things for a year. Please?"

Her pout weakened his defenses and he found himself agreeing.

"If you're both going. maybe I'll pop in this year," Neville said.

"And where was this attitude last year?" Hermione said. "I practically begged you to go."

"Pretty as you are Hermione," he said bringing a blush to her cheeks, "I'm not besotted with you."

"Men," she muttered and turned back to their pea green potion. Harry merely grinned at her.

***

After potions, Harry left for Runes and Hermione for DADA.

As Babbling went over their syllabus, Harry's heart sank. He walked to her desk as the others filed out of the class.

"Professor, I don't mean to be rude, it's just that I already know the Germanic rune sets and was hoping for a bit more of a challenge. Also, I'm looking to take my international NEWT and believe they test for a bit more."

"You are fluent with all seven variances and can use them together in runic arrays?"

He nodded. "I’ve been making some progress with the Asiatic runes as well, mostly Japanese and Chinese, but have been having much more trouble with it."

"As with the written languages of those countries, their runes are more nuanced and intricate."

Again he nodded. Babbling thought for a moment. “Tell you what Potter, you may come to the tutoring sessions I have with Miss Granger. She is also too bright for the curriculum and can't fit the class into her schedule besides. It will be more self directed and much of your work will be on your own time. I would suggest dedicating the new hole in your schedule to that purpose. I'll see you and Miss Granger tomorrow at 6:30pm "

"Thank you professor. I'm looking forward to it." What she proposed kept much closer to the personalized education he had had up until this point.

He had been severely underwhelmed by the quality of education at Hogwarts, so far. Only half of what Slughorn had gone over as the year’s curriculum would be new. Care of Magical Creatures was much better, but Harry suspected that had quite a bit to do with being in Scotland rather than France and that his instructor until now had been from Russia, so they went on quite a few field trips. Still, Hagrid seemed like an enthusiastic professor, even if he was nervous and jumpy around Harry.

He met a very irritated Hermione outside of transfiguration.

"Why did you do this to me Harry?"

"Ron again? I'm sorry. He's such a git. If I had known he would-"

“Not Ron. Well, I suppose he could have started it. Everyone knows. About Hogsmeade. About our date.”

"Well, I'm sorry to point this out, but you sort of announced it to the common room."

"Yes but EVERYONE knows. Cho Chang was bugging me about it in DADA and she’s in Ravenclaw."

"Bugging you how?" Harry's eyes narrowed.

"Oh you know, just disparaging remarks about being a muggle born. Loudly asking her friends what sort of prank they think you're pulling on me and if they should warn the poor little bookworm. Things like that."

“Those jealous little twits. I'll set them straight." Harry made as if to track them down now, despite not knowing half of their names or what this Cho Chang girl looked like. Hermione caught hold of his arm. He stopped short, their chests practically touching. Her hair smelled of lavender and leather bound books.

"No, Please. It's fine. I’ve dealt with that sort of thing. I had the same problem in the muggle world too. People were insecure or intimidated by my intelligence. Once my powers manifested even my parents were scared of me." Hermione looked away. Her hair tickled his nose and her grip tightened on his arm. "Things are better here. Neville, Luna, Ginny, and a few of the girls in Ravenclaw are genuinely nice to me."

She took a deep breath. "You though, Potter, you'll be the death of me. I found my cozy little niche then you with your fancy titles, good looks, and well bred charm have to ask out the nerdy freak and drag me into your limelight."

"You think I'm good looking?" He grinned down at her. When she looked up she seemed to realize they were inches away. With a little gasp she tried to pull away but it was Harry's turn to catch and hold her. His hands lay feather light on her lower back, giving her the option of stepping from his grasp. She didn't.

"Well, I mean- See some people- "

"Don't ruin it now. I find you very good looking myself and you've certainly got your own charms." He put the barest hint of pressure on her back and she let herself be pressed to his chest. He stooped. She tilted her head back. As her breath caught he knew she would let him kiss her, but didn't want to push them that quickly.

Instead he stooped, grazed his lips against her cheek, and whispered in her ear. "Do I get points for breaking your foul mood?"

She laughed, leaning away slightly, then jumping back when Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, the whole class will not be kept waiting for you to finish canoodling in the hall."

With a violent blush Hermione rushed into the class. Harry strode past McGonagall with a self-satisfied grin and swore he caught her sneak him a wink.

"Don't take your seat quite yet Lord Potter. If you could stand by the board please?"

A little confused and quite weary of the mischievous smile she sent his way, Harry did as asked. He was just in time to see Hermione take one of the two remaining seats in the front row. The gap sat between Draco, who had saved a seat for Harry, and Cho Chang. Evidently, Draco was the lesser of two evils today, but neither of them seemed very comfortable about it.

Hermione, of course, had been the recipient of many abusive comments the blood purist had made over the years. Draco, on the other hand, had overhead McGonagall welcoming the pair and heard the rumors circulating about the pair dating. Now he had to figure out how to right his wrongs before his new liege lord found out about the relentless bullying he'd put her through. Wonderful.

"Now," McGonagall said effortlessly bringing the previously chatting class to order. "There are two ways to pass your NEWTS. Accomplish either one in a mediocre manner and you'll receive an Acceptable. A flawless demonstration of either will earn you an Exceeds Expectations. Perform both in some recognizable fashion and you will accomplish an Outstanding. I know at least two of you, and perhaps others, wish to try for your international NEWT. To pass that, performing both to the highest level of excellence is required merely to pass.

With that in mind, can anyone, besides Miss Granger who knew all her NEWT requirements before sitting her Owls, tell me what those two ways are?"

Most faces seemed blank. Harry rolled his eyes and McGonagall tssked.

"Come now, "she said. "I know most of you let your brains turn to mush over the summer but you'll be sitting these exams in ten months! Take an educated guess for Merlin's sake."

"Animagus transformation ma'am," Draco offered.

"Very good Mr Malfoy. I knew you'd prove to have a proper head on your shoulders if we could manage to wrench you away from those too goons you seemed so set on impressing."

Draco blushed faintly. Crabbe and Goyle had failed their transfiguration OWLs. Goyle had passed just enough OWLs to return to Hogwarts. Crabbe's father, before dying trying to protect the Dark Lord, had discretely paid a sizable "donation" to the school in order to keep him attending. He was not allowed to sit his NEWTs and would be retaking his OWLs instead, but images had to be maintained.

"And the other?" After a moment she added. "It's outdated and stridently monitored and regulated by the ministry." Another pause. "You're required to obtain a permit and it is the reason a goblin must be present." Crickets. "Muggle scientists were obsessed with the idea after glimpsing a wizard perform the feat masquerading as a street artist in the middle ages." She let out a hiss of frustration. "He was the only witch to be burned at the stake by our own Ministry's order.'

Finally, she nodded at Hermione.

"Turn lead into gold, professor."

"Precisely. You have seen my form multiple times over the years, and professors showing off in their own field is rather droll, don't you think? So, to give you the proper motivation, I’ve selected Mr. Potter to give us a little demonstration. Up all of you and stand at the back."

As the class complied, McGonagall waved her wand and all the desks and chairs, including her own, levitated to the vaulted ceiling.

"Professor, perhaps it would be best to do this outside?"

"You don't believe you possess the control to demonstrate here?"

He judged the square footage. It would be a bit of a squeeze, but he could do it. He nodded his consent and waved her to the back of the room with the students.

With an unconcerned shrug he stripped down to his boxers, but at McGonagall’s glare and the all too interested expressions of some of the girls, he let those be. Still, less clothing meant less to consciously transfigure. His wand, of course, would meld into his body so he could still perform magic, which stood as the most beneficial perk of having a magical beast as his second form. A perk any magical with a mundane form lacked.

Most interesting to his near nudity, was Hermione's reaction. She kept her gaze firmly locked on his eyes but he caught quick darting looks any time he looked away. He grinned.

"At your leisure, Mr Potter."

"Of course, Professor." He snapped his wings out. The black tips of his white leathery wings, dusted with fine silvery feathers, brushed either side of the thirty foot wide room. Slowly he let his tail grow out as well, but his human spine couldn't accommodate the full wings and tail at once. He allowed his spine and back muscles to grow so as to accommodate his full twenty foot length, though not its girth as he wished to retain his human haunches for a time. His claws grew, scales poked through his skin and pupils elongated into slits.

"Stop showing off and complete the transformation, Potter."

"Merely judging the space, Professor." He winked. "But asss you wisssh," Harry hissed with a serpentine flick of his forked tongue. He took a deep bow and let the rest of the transformation happen all at once.

Coiling his body as he did so was a trick he only accomplished due to years of playing quidditch and learning hand-to-hand.

Spun into concentric circles in the tight space, stood a pure white _serpent alatus_ , or winged snake. He had black tipped wings, black claws, and a black mane running down the ridge of its back in place of the European dragons' spines. It looked like a Chinese dragon without the cartoonish head, more heavily muscled legs, and a great wingspan to lift his forty foot body length of pure muscle. Despite his length, he only had a five foot diameter at the thickest point and his shoulders stood a mere seven feet off the ground. With his body coiled like a rug and his wings, which had an impressive set of joints to accommodate the diverse movements of his serpentine body, flush to his sides, he fit with a mere foot between his head and the students.

Hermione, showing more courage than the others, a greater familiarity with Harry or, more likely both, reached out to stroke his muzzle, then up to trace the jagged red lightning bolt scar on his forehead that stuck with him in both forms. The other similarity that struck her was his vibrant jade eyes.

 **You're beautiful,** she thought with all her might as she rested her forehead against his snout.

 **Thank you,** his thought rang back inside her head.

Her eyes widened in shock.

**Low level telepathy is how dragons communicate in the wild. I didn't mean to intrude, but you were sort of screaming.**

**Can the others hear you?** It was an interesting practice trying to think towards him without shouting, as he put it.

 **Much better. And not now. They will if I want them to.** Then, letting the whole class hear as evidenced by startled gasps. **A more well rounded demonstration, Professor?**

"At your discretion, Lord Potter." She opened a window. At three feet wide and four feet tall he had to switch back almost to human form, keeping his wings, and took a flying leap out the window. He transformed back as his knees cleared, letting his tail flick through last.

Then he was soaring out over the lake, twisting through the first few trees of the Forbidden forest, then up. He soared over the castle and back. As he dove past the transfiguration window, he released a plum of flame. Before it was extinguished he had swung back into the classroom in human form.

Boxers transfigured back in place, he strode to his pile of clothes to stilted applause.

The classroom was back to rights before he was fully clothed and he took his place between Hermione and Cho after a quick high-five from Draco.

"Thank you Lord Potter. Now, some of you may have already begun your animagus transition. If you have, finish and perfect it. Those of you who haven't, we will begin review tomorrow and start the process on the first of the month.

Gold conversion will start next week. These," she produced a box of iron galleons, "are your training medallions. Each of them have been magically smelted to contain your name where there would normally be a coin sequence number. That will NOT change no matter how you manipulate the metal.

They have also been charmed to key themselves to your magical signature. No one else will be able to interact with your coin." As she spoke she levitated them out to students. "Goblins take our currency very seriously indeed. As a school, we have been given special decompensation to train you with these forgeries. However, any goblin who sees it will know immediately that it is a fake. Do not try to use it. Do not try to deposit it. Do not try to duplicate it by any means.

There have, of course, been many magicals talented with transfiguration who were thought to be using this magic to counterfeit galleons or, more wisely, sell the gold to humans. Most of them have disappeared and the ministry seems hesitant to look into the matter."

"And those that didn't go missing?" Draco asked.

"Found to be completely innocent, of course. Who would be stupid enough to try to cheat a goblin?"

***

Charms passed with Harry comfortably wedged between Draco and Hermione with Luna on Hermione’s far side. Though Luna seemed oblivious to the tension, both Hermione and Draco seemed happier with the degree of separation. Crabbe and Goyle, who sat to Draco’s other side and behind him, were dumbfounded as to why Draco continued to foster a friendship with Potter now that he was cuddling up to the mud blood.

Flitwick was proven correct in his assumption that anything he could teach Harry would be cake next to the nifty bit of transfiguration he did for the qualifiers. The Griffin was still the centerpiece of the hall, though without its partner, Harry had shifted it to stand in front of the star standing straight and examining the teachers before him.

The stag had taken to patrolling the castle at night and following the first years around to their classes. He was aware of the slight drain on his magic that maintained the patronus, however the first years’ newfound feeling of safety and comfort was worth it. Plus, dementors had come to the school a couple times over the years and he'd be damned if another one would terrify the students.

Encouraged by Babbing's response to his concerns, Harry approached Flitwick after class. Hermione, torn between waiting for Harry and arriving early to Arithmancy hovered nervously in the door. Draco, who had a bad boy reputation to uphold and Divination with Harry next, leaned against the edge of the blackboard. Every now and then he'd glance guiltily in Hermione's direction.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the time that Babbling seems to have found to give you and Miss Granger extra instruction, though I'm sure she'd jump at the chance." He smiled toward her and Hermione quit her pacing to nod enthusiastically.

"However, I could accommodate an independent study. I won't release you from class time as there are far more charms than a person can learn in high school and I'm sure your previous instructors did not go over everything I mentioned today, yes?" At his pause Harry nodded. "Then I think it would benefit us both for you to be my teaching assistant of sorts. I'll use you in demonstrations and to assist the others when they’re given time in class to practice.

At the end of every month we will make time to go over your personal progress. I expect a plan for this month's study plan on my desk this Friday. Miss Granger, if you can convince Lord Potter to give up some of his monthly assessment time, I will expect your plan Friday as well.

I believe Madam Pince has a book on the Charms International NEWT requirements in the library to help guide you."

"Thank you professor. A very generous offer. "Harry collected His friends and begun walking Hermione to Arithmancy. Luna, who had Arithmancy with Hermione, trailed slightly behind Harry and took his hand as if it were the most natural act in the world. He h\gave her a kind smile and let her keep the hand. At Hermione’s slight frown, Luna prodded Harry and had him take her hand too.

"Oh Harry, you've got to let me. Please!"

Harry chuckled. "Of course. I may not have been here long, but I know better than to stand between you and your studies."

Draco snorted. Hermione's sudden joy snapped to a withering glare at Draco.

"Alright," Harry stopped a few doors from Hermione's Arithmancy class, pulling both girls to a stop behind him. Draco caught himself a few feet ahead and turned to face the trio. "Let's get this sorted. I know you have years of history that I'm walking into, but I have fledgling ties to both of you that I'm not willing to break for whatever bad blood exists. I hope you aren't either."

"Blood is what got between us initially," Draco said. At Hermione's scoff he clarified. "My fault entirely. I come from a long line of blood purists. You well know how my father chose to espouse his beliefs." Draco grimaced.

Hermione looked a bit shocked, but, especially on the heels of Ron's betrayal, wasn't quick to forgive. "Yes, well that's all well and good" she said frostily, "but this can wait, I’ve got to get to class."

"You've got a bit more than five minutes. This is important," Harry said.

"You'll be late, "she said.

"And I'm counting on your guilt about that to get this over with, or at least started, quickly."

"Fine." Hermione huffed. “Draco has made his family proud. Espousing the same beliefs as his Death Eater father and trying to feed me to a basilisk."

Draco paled. "I know. I've been a prideful git. My father has had a lot of influence over me. Until two years ago, I thought he walked on water. Until very recently, I was too much of a chicken shit to break with him or rebel in any meaningful way."

"Recent change doesn't make up for past wrongs. Didn't your father pull you out of school for a few days when, what was her name, the muggle studies teacher went missing?"

Draco, hung his head and shuddered. "Bathilda Bagshot.”

"What happened to her?" Hermione's voice softened as a tear fell to the flagstones from Draco's bowed head.

"They killed her. We killed her. Sacrificed, really, to feed the Dark Lord her soul."

“Not her soul,” Luna said. “Her soul is safe, happy, and warm in Deaths embrace.”

“I saw it.” Draco didn’t dare hope.

“Very few beings can alter or use a soul. Voldemort may have syphoned the power of her magical core, but her soul passed on unscathed.”

Harry looked at the dreamer with respect. Few people said Voldemort’s name without flinching even after so long.

In a move that shocked everyone, including Luna, she took Draco’s face in her hands and went on her tippy toes to kiss his forehead before releasing him in favor of reclaiming Harry’s hand.

“You may have had a hand in killing her, Boy Who Longs for the Light, but she forgives you, as do I.”

"Same here,” Harry said without hesitation, “though the power boost made fighting him a bitch. Took us by surprise. It made sparing your father much harder."

"You should have killed him." Voice cold and tears wiped from his face as he looked up. "Anyone who welcomes such a dark twisted thing into his house, much less his body and mind, who sees it as an honor, deserves worse than death."

"Which is why he's still alive. If I'd known what he'd do after, perhaps the outcome would be different. I made the mistake of thinking that since his magical core was eviscerated, that he was harmless. I’ll never make that mistake again."

"You couldn't have known and neither of us were your concern. Any harm you did, you and your family has more than made up for."

"I'll believe that once you're completely free of your father's influence."

"Back up a moment," Hermione intercepted. "Lucius Malfoy can't do magic?"

"Not much. He can most likely brew most low level potions. Anything that doesn't require power from the wizard's core would probably work."

Draco's eyes widened. "That explains it! Our house elves’ bonds were transferred to me. He tried to play it off as part of my coming of age, despite his obvious fury.

To be honest, I'm struggling to maintain them. My father and I were too proud to break any of their bonds and with my mother gone, there was no one we trusted enough to pass their bonds too." He looked at Harry, considering for a moment before turning to Hermione.

"But we're getting off track. I can't apologize to you enough or hope to make up for the pain I’ve caused. We will never be firm friends I'm sure, but I won't abandon Lord Potter and my loyalty to him extends to you. If there's anything you ever need, just ask.”

Hermione looked from Draco to Harry puzzling over the intensity of their bond. They were obviously avoiding the cause and she decided to leave it. For now. "Right. I appreciate that. Still, I don't regret punching you."

Draco laughed. "I did sort of deserve that."

"You deserved worse, but if you stick with this reform, I'll consider not doing so again."

“You're too kind," he said with a grin and mock bow. He was taken aback when Hermione stuck out her hand to shake, but accepted. Their relationship wasn’t friendly, it wasn’t even mended, but they’d progressed, slight as that may have been.

With a brisk nod she turned to flounce off to class, taking Luna by the hand to take her along. "You have three minutes Potter," she called over her shoulder. “If you're even a minute late, I will be taking ten points a piece from Gryffindor and Slytherin." She flashed a sweet smile. "Run."

Luna waved at them both sweetly.

Draco and him glanced at each other and hurried off. Ten points wasn't much, but on the first day they would put their houses in the negative.

"My Lord," Draco said quietly as they speed walked, "would you be able to take on a house elf or two? I know the liege bond must take a toll."

Harry waved that off. It took less than maintaining his stag." Call your elves."

"Malfoy elves to me." Four elves popped around them and kept pace with the boys. Amazingly, three of them were female. Female house elves were prized and so many had been snapped up by black market traders who sold baby house elves as potion ingredients.

Only in Britain could those deplorable breeding facilities exist. The Malfoys had purchased their females from such facilities for the status that owning females gave. Fertile females were easily 100,000 galleons, which was ten times more expensive than a prime male. These three looked like they had been worked ten times as hard as they struggled to keep pace with the boys.

Harry stopped immediately. Ten points was not worth making these exhausted creatures sprint. Two of the women were old matrons, much like seven of the nine female elves Harry had. The other girl, remarkably, looked like she was barely breeding age. The male appeared close to her age, though a bit older. All of them were barely covered in rags that, while clean, were not recognizable as clothing.

“I was too kind to your father by half if this is how he treats those under him," Harry fumed. He set to work muttering healing spells over the various cuts, burns, bruises, and the odd broken bone. The young boy yelped and backed away.

"Mr. Wizard should not be healing Dobby's punishments!"

"Dobby," one of the matrons snapped. "Look closer child. See the bond. The wizard is Master Draco's master."

Dobby's eyes rounded to the size of saucers and he immediately fell to the ground and began bashing his head on the flagstone. Or, he would have if Harry hadn't levitated him to eye level.

"If you see me as an authority, hear this. I would sooner see you freed to live in a elven refugee camp than allow you to self harm.” To a house elf, living in a place with no master to serve and too many elves for there to be enough meaningful work to go around was a fate worse than death. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes. Dobby be understanding. But if it won't offend to ask, how does Dobby punish himself if he can not be hurting? How will Master teach Dobby?"

"Any master that relies on pain to teach is either a fool, a coward, or both. No matter the reason, they are not fit to have servants nor to be in any position of authority. Now. I will put you down. I will heal all the wounds it is within my power to heal. You will NOT undo or resist my work. Clear?"

Dobby nodded vigorously, his ears flopping about. "Yes. Dobby will obey Master’s master. But he still has not told Dobby how he is to learn."

"How did you know when you made a mistake when working for Lucius?" The derision that dripped from the name had all four elves and even Draco flinching.

"When it be obvious, I knows already. When not obvious Master would assign punishments until I be finding out."

Harry choked on the healing spell he was muttering over one of the matrons and had to start over before speaking.

"When you make an obvious mistake for me you will stop whatever job you're doing, unless Draco or I tell you it is very important and must be finished quickly. Then you will relax. Have a nice tea or something and read a book or watch TV. You are to do some pointless leisure activity until you have learned your lesson.

If I see you make a mistake that you don’t know you made, I will give you a certain amount of time to think about it while you take a break. Once the break is over you will tell me if you haven't figured it out. I will tell you what it was and how to fix it. Then it will be your job to correct others when they make the same mistake. Do you understand?"

Dobby looked mortified. "Yes Sir. Master is a strange and wonderful wizard. Dobby has never heard of any elf punishment beings forced to be doing nothing.'"

"That's how I work. If you're injured how will you know you’re respected and keep working efficiently?"

Dobby and the other elves laughed. "Very funny Sir. House elves is not worthy of respect."

"I believe they are. Don't believe me? Zaldey." A wizened old house elf in a smart black and burgundy suit with a gold Potter crest over his left breast appeared silently.

"You've been with me since I was eleven and with my family before the war. Please tell my new friends honestly if you've ever seen me disrespect any house elf, even if I did so accidently."

"You offend quite a few by making them take vacations when they be tired or their work is suffering, but Zaldey believes that be one way Master be showing deep respect. I never be seeing Master disrespect any of the forty-seven Potter elves nor any other elf."

"Thank you Zaldey. Cismy ." A female house elf, much older than Draco’s two matrons, popped in. "Will you help Zaldey fit these four for uniforms? At least one will be with green accents instead of burgundy and stitched with the Malfoy crest. Which will you be keeping Malfoy? You can, of course, have the other bonds back when you feel ready."

Draco had gone white as a sheet and it took a few tries for him to get the words out. "I'm not ready for any. Not after- I mean- If this is how a proper wizard, no, a proper man treats his elves then I have a lot to learn from you before taking on an elf, my Lord."

"Good man." Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "Cismy, I believe Mr Malfoy could use a female touch to whip him into shape. Who would be best?"

"Myself, Master, but I be far too busy running your house to have a boy at my apron strings. So be the women on my council." She thought for a moment.

"Poppy. She be young, only forty, but she be firecracker and been with Master Harry many years. She may be too excited to be training future master and may be too happy about correcting, but she do a good job."

"Thank you. Burgundy and Potter crests as normal for these four. Get Poppy a new uniform with green accents matching Mr Malfoy's tie. Have a Potter house pin painted green rather than embroidering the crest as we normally do for her."

The two well dressed elderly elves set to work while Harry turned 100% of his attention to healing the elves. Draco snapped out of his self deprecating thoughts and began helping.

The elves were in rough shape and malnourished. The young lady alone was in good health, which he thought odd until his diagnostic spell brought an important condition to his attention.

 _Was your father breeding elves?"_ Harry's voice hissed deadly quiet. He'd spoken in Parseltongue accidentally, something that hadn't happened in years. Draco, while struggling to speak the language, understood it fine and blanched before replying.

"Not that I knew of, but there were many business dealings he kept secret from me."

"Dobby," Harry asked in English." Are you and,” he paused.

"Harly, Sir," the young girl supplied in a quiet voice.

"Are you and Harly mated?" When he noticed both young elves quivering in fear he added softly, "I'm not mad at you."

"We are not true mated pair, though Master Lucius buy us as such." Dobby answered meekly. "He mad when Dobby refuse. That one elf right. To refuse. Master not listen. Master say he will force Dobby to produce seed with magic and then he say- Dobby is sorry. Dobby has hard time saying."

"He was bad man and bad master," one of the old house elves said. "Nispy tell new Masters for Dobby?" At his nod, Nispy continued. "Old master use foul language to say he force his own private self on Harly until Dobby learn his lesson and put Dobby's seed inside to make baby."

Harry was too furious to speak but Draco looked determined.

"Did he do it Nisby? Harly?"

The young Harly burst into tears. Nisby held her while Dobby found the courage to reply.

"Only once Master Malfoy. Dobby be begging and begging him not to be doing it. Dobby be trying to get to Harly first and prove that Dobby be good and do this horrible thing. Master restrain Dobby. Say one time punishment for both of us. Master use Harly. Master throw Dobby seed in sink and make Dobby- make Dobby make new seed in Harly while she not conscious."

All the elves, especially the Potter elves who had been with Harry long enough to be thoroughly repulsed by ignoble masters, were horrified at the retelling.

Elf children were their most precious and protected joy. The right to choose their partners and bear children when and if they chose was their singular right in Britain. That right was abused in breeding farms constantly. But for a wizard to rape an elf? that was beyond taboo. Lucius could earn a Dementors Kiss for that, pure blood or not.

Given the wild disproportion in size and anatomy, Harly was extremely lucky to be alive.

 _"I'll kill him,"_ Draco hissed in his first perfect parselmouth sentence.

 _"I'll hold him steady."_ Controlling himself, Draco addressed his four elves in English.

“I can not express sorrow at how badly you've been mistreated by me and my family. I promise to take Poppy's lessons to heart and hope to be worthy of you all one day, though I can never atone for what you went through."

Nisby looked to the other three before talking for the group. "We not forget Master, but we forgive in time if you be serious about changing. Beesey and me raise you. We be knowing you not as rotted. Yous be contaminated by bad man since birth. Changed you something you aren’t."

That last sentence took quite a lot out of Nisby to say. Harry recognized the signs of saying something related to a topic her master expressly forbade. She couldn’t tell them what, but it was a clue. One harry picked up on and filed away for later.

"I am. But I'm not ready. As you say, I've been tainted by the monster you used to call master and it will take time for me to unlearn all those hateful ways. I'm sick and Lord Potter is giving me the chance to heal, but this must be mended the muggle way. With time. Until such time that you each decide I am worthy of you, I release you of your bond of slavery to me.

Now I am just a man, not even a friend, I can not and will not order you to do anything, but I have begged, on your behalf, for Lord Potter to take on your bonds. If you choose, I believe he will be a good master to you all."

The four stood stunned for a moment, feeling heavy bonds of oppression snap, before looking up at Harry.

"Master Harry has so many elves already. Can Master feed four more? "Nisby asked with hope.

"I have more than enough magic for all of you to gorge yourselves on."

"And work Master? We know the Potter house be only one. Does you be having enough work?"

"I have several businesses catering to both muggles and magicals. Tell me what you're best at and I will put you to work somewhere you can find joy and meaning."

"What if we don't know our best?" Dobby asked, excitement clean in his bouncing from foot to foot.

"Then you will be rotated through jobs until you find one you enjoy and excel at."

“Harly secretly liked to do the mending," she said.

"You always complained about mending," Draco said.

"And then Mistress would find heaps for Harly to do and say that be punishment. Mistress ever hit though, Harly thinks she knew."

"Then you will work for Cismy. She runs the fashion business. Although," Harry stared at Harly hard but couldn't sense anything without the bond. "Cismy, how long until Harly's baby comes?"

As House Elf babies were hunted by dragons and dementors long before wizards, House Elves produced young in a unique way. The embryo grew to no larger than a pea, growing in magic only by feeding off the mother, and through her the master's core. When it was magically mature, it would drain the mother's reserves to physically mature in the span of two hours. Finally, it would pop from its mother's womb and to its specially prepared nest.

"It is difficult to say. The baby is stunted magically, but should recover if Harly bonds a Master as strong as Master Harry."

"Harly, "Harry said softly, "I mean no offense, but would you like to keep the baby?"

She thought for a moment and nodded. "Harty will bond Master Potter and raise the baby. Not baby's fault how Harly be pregnant."

Harry let out a deep breath. He didn't clarify what he'd meant. House Elves treasured children above all else. Better she thought he meant giving it to the matrons to raise than abortion. Cismy looked at Harry sharply, but as he had not voiced the option of killing the babe, she be letting it go.

"Then I, Harry James Potter, Lord of House Potter, Slayer of the Dark One, and Heir of Gryffindor do offer to bond you not into slavery but in to my service and family. I will supply you with magic, protect you, and your kin, and treat you as I would mine own.”

"Harly, last free elf and Matron ofclan Ellisar accepts the bond. You have the loyalty and unending slav-service of me and mine. Clan Ellisar is so then bound to Harry James Potter and his family so long as both our lines live."

At hearing her clan name, Harry internally whooped for joy and could not keep the smile from his face. Ellisar was the rarest of the surviving forty-two Elven clans native to Britain. He needed a representative from each clan for his plan to work, but had begun to despair of meeting, much less bonding, one of the three surviving members.

Wizards were egotistical, greedy, and had a pathological need for control. It was those qualities on display in the ancient letter of the bond that would allow Harry to revolutionize House Elf treatment and rights in Britain.

A long time ago, wizards wanted to bind whole clans to their bidding, while only magically feeding one elf. So, through verbal contract the families of both races were bound. House elves had a different societal structure than humans. Clans were just part of a whole. Elves were part of a collective family belonging to a geographical location. Several "British "clans were also native to other countries.

Now, multiple wizards from different families bonded elves from within the same clan, though that wasn't how the system was intended to work. Through talking to his own elves and gaining their trust, they revealed that the collective racial family of a land was a much greater bond than these fragmented clan bonds with different wizarding families. A closely guarded secret as the wrong wizards might try to break that racial bond.

That couldn't be further from Harry's plan. He would bond an elf of each family and use the racial family magic to break individual bonds to other wizards.

A cunning plan and one that grew closer to fruition when Dobby and Nisby revealed they were of clan Alvast, and the other old elf, Beesey, of clan Inagella, both clans that also weren't represented in the Potter elves yet. All three accepted his bond.

"Only three clans to go master, " Cismy said.

"Will you put together a team? I think if we push hard enough we can start to move on our plan before Christmas."

"Yes Master. Thank you- Harry."

Harry pulled the matron to him in a tight hug. He knew how hard she worked to call him by his first name on special occasions.

"Right," Harry said, clearing his throat. "To business. Dobby, Harlyy, Nispy, and Beesey, you will go with Zaldy. He will dress you in proper uniforms." At the elves scandalized expressions he clarified.

"The uniforms are my property. I am not giving them to you. You will keep them clean and in good repair at all times. If for whatever reason, our bond is broken the uniforms will be returned and I will gift you different clothes. You work for and represent me and my family. I will not have you letting others disrespect our family by appearing shabby. Clear?”

"Yes Sir," they all said, beaming. Put in those terms they would take great pride in their uniforms.

"Cismy, make sure Harly takes two days before the birth and at least two days after to both make her nest and replenish her magic."

"Sir," Dobby looked sheepishly at his overlarge feet. "Dobby be wondering if he may have time to help with nest and raise baby. Harly never be mate, but baby bes mine too. Dobby is a good responsible elf Sir."

"Start Dobby's rotation at the shop with Harly so they can plan while working. He is to be given the same time as Harly."

"Dobby not be wanting four whole days! Maybe an hour or two each day."

"No. Responsible elves help Dobby. Harley will need much more help than a few hours. I know you are both hard workers, but once Cismy explains how much work the baby will be you'll understand. If you need more time then take it. Now, Cismy stay a moment and come with us. Hermione will tan our hides for being so late."

"To take care of House Elves? Potter, if you don't get lucky tonight I'll use my Nimbus 2001 to sweep your common room."

“I’ll take that action. Hermione seems a proper lady and we just met. If I do, I’ll do a jig on the table in the common room to a song of your choosing.”

They laughed for a moment before hurrying on. "Poppy. Good, you're in your new uniform. This is Draco Malfoy. You'll be training him to be a proper Master for house elves."

The young elf with bright pink hair ran beside them and looked suitably shocked.

"You will be taking orders from him for now but your bond is still mine. Follow only orders that are reasonable and given respectfully. Continue to follow my expectations for conduct and instruct Draco on the finer points if he asks you to break that code in any way.

Do absolutely nothing that puts you or others in harm's way. Protect him as you would me, but not at risk to your life. Lastly, report directly to me and Cismy if he's being a prick. Go with Cismy for now. She'll fill you in on any details I missed."

Draco groaned. "Why do I get the feeling your elves are going to expect more from me than McGonagall?"

"Because they will demand nothing less than what they get from me and you've lived with your father's example for years. For years, McGonagall has not expected students to succeed because the education here is abysmal.

On the other side, house elves have been abused for centuries. I’m them the chance to re educate a potential master from one of the most abusive families of the lot. Trust me, Poppy will be getting the opinion of every house elf I’m bound to."

***

"Half an hour late does not a good first impression make, Mr. Potter," Firenze said in the middle of the forested classroom.

"Good thing my qualifier was my first impression."

"Indeed." Firenz could have been playing out the joke, but his monotone response made it difficult to say.

"The fault is mine Sir, "Draco said.

"Oh?"

"My father- my whole family, has been abusing our elves. I asked Mr Potter to care for them as I couldn't handle the responsibility myself. We were going to transfer the bond on the way over.

However, the state of them was such that Mr Potter," he caught himself from saying Lord in front of his peers but it was difficult with how much his esteem for the other had risen," had to work several rather advanced healing spells."

"You didn't take them to Madam Pomfrey?" Firenz had turned from the class. Concern and fury on the Elves' behalf showing from his furrowed brow to twitching tail.

"All due respect to Madam Pomfrey, but she is a human medicus. Having rescued many of my own elves from similar situations, I have intimately studied their biology and spells for healing them. Elves are often left to be healed by their own. I've worked with them to alter human medicus spells to better serve their physiology."

"I see.'' Firenz's eyebrows raised as he was once again taken aback by the complexity of magic the young foal was capable of. "Where are the poor creatures now?"

"Being fitted for uniforms and then checked over by their own healer."

Millicent Bulstrode burst into shrill laughter. "Uniforms? Proper uniforms? House elves can't wear proper clothes, Potter."

"On the contrary, British magicals reinforce the slave culture they've created in their house elves by forcing them into rags and scaring them with the notion that only disrespectful elves that want to be free would dare covet proper clothing. The practice disgusts me."

His glare made it very clear to Millicent and the rest of the class that by "the practice” he meant her attitude. She shrunk back and the rest of the class began to question the indecency they'd been over looking for years. "If you're dressed, please come here Harly."

She popped in wearing the cute black dress with burgundy cuffs and sash. A Potter House pin was clipped over her left breast. Harry smiled at the concession Cismy made lending the untested new elf her matron pin rather than appear without the crest that hadn't yet been stitched in red and gold to the dress- Everyone was shocked by her well dressed sleek appearance. Which of course had been the point. Many found themselves comparing the cut-and cloth of her dress to their own clothes and found theirs lacking.

"Lord Master Potter be making the right choice calling Harly. She be the first finished."

"Thank you Harly. However, I want you to take a fifteen minute break after talking with my classmates."

The elf thought for a moment. "Harly not be figuring out what she do wrong in such a short time. May Harly know what she did wrong now?"

"I prefer to just be called Harry by my friends, but I know that is very difficult for elves. You may call me Sir, Master Harry or even Master Potter if that is the least formal you can manage. I do not accept double honorifics such as 'Lord Master."'

"Harly didn't know."

"And that is why the break is so short. However, the others will probably need correction too, which is now your job."

"Yes sir." Harly thought for another moment. "Harly will try her best to call Master Harry just Harry, if that is what he woulds be finding respectful?"

“I would."

The class was speechless. Firenz, however, clopped over to Harly and bent to offer her his hand. As centaur hands were rather larger than humans and elves rather smaller, she only managed to shake two fingers, but then kept hold of them. Firenze did not try to take his hand back.

"Hello Star-Eyed foal. I hear you were mistreated." Harly teared up at the honorific. Centuries ago, centaurs referred to the elves as the Star-Eyed. "Yes Professor Star-Gazer. Harly was."

Firenz covered her hand with his other, enveloping much of her forearm as well. "I will not ask you to speak of it further. I know you have not known him long, but what do you think of your new master?"

"Please answer Professor Firene with complete honesty. Do not sugarcoat anything because I'm in the room."

"Harly not need to be covering anything in sweet. Mast- Harry seems a very great wizard to me Star-Gazer. He be treating the Potter elves better than Harly ever know British wizards to ever be treating elves, even in Harly's ancestral memories that trace back to when elves be running with star-gazers."

Firene bent his front knees to the ground and opened his arms to her. "It would be my honour if you would run with me again, Star-eyed."

Tears tracked down Harley's cheeks and she jumped into his arms to be lifted onto his back. Once she was settled comfortably, he strode back to the center of the room, students scattered on the forest floor in a loose circle around him. Draco and Harry perched on a felled log nearby.

"Tell me my friend, because some of these foals don't believe what Lord Potter tells them, what do you think of your clothes?"

"They not be mine. Harry be lending uniforms to all his elves so they be appearing fit to represent the proud house of Potter. Harly be much liking the uniform. Me thinks it look very smart and proper. Tell me young witches and wizardses, what do you think? And don't s be dipping in sweeties."

After an awkward moment of silence, Hannah Abbott spoke.

"Well I think you look just darling Harly. But how did putting it on not break your bond?"

"Because Harry not be giving it. Harly be a bonded elf wearing the uniform of her master’s house to show her allegiance."

"I’ll have to get Mr. Potter to tell me where I can get uniforms for my family’s elves."

"Cismy," Harry called.

She appeared having taken Zaldy's patron crest pin. It wasn't proper, but the young magicals wouldn't be knowing that.

"Please give Miss Abbott the card for the shop and take her order if she would like to make one."

After Hannah's example, several students took cards, though Hannah was the only one to place an order. The others had to gain approval from their parents.

"Thank you for your business Miss Abbott. Cismy be sending elves to be fittings yours." With that and a nod from Harry, she popped away.

"Lord Potter," Firenz said. "Might Harly remain to assist me with the lesson?"

"Of course Professor."

"Then we will continue our introductory fluff tomorrow!” Firenze strode around the space as he talked, Harly gliding along on his back. The pair looked complete together, though no one, not even they, noticed the lack before.

"Today we will discuss how the species you know now as house elves and centaurs worked together eons ago. As is often the case, we must look to the past to see the future. In the past, centaurs and elves magic worked in tandem to predict the future with more regularity and precision than even your true human prophets now, who couch their visions in vague misleading terms to disguise their own uncertainty.

Only together can the races truly see the future and past clearly. Alone, elves are left with deep ancestral memories and an uncanny sense to predict immediate danger to themselves or bonded families. Their memories are limited in scope to their families, rather the whole of the world, and while they can lessen or prevent harm to themselves and others, they can not sense far enough to prevent the catastrophe.

Centaurs are likewise limited in that we must rely on reading stars and our memories of what we saw eons ago with the elves aid. Stargazing is useful, but not omniscient or infallible. While the stars don't lie, centaurs are not immune to making mistakes, much as many of us would like to believe otherwise."

"Sir,” Penelope Clearwater asked. "How did they work together to see the future?"

"They ran." Harty replied. Sitting saying nothing be feeling too much like a break and she believed Harry wished her fifteen minutes to begin once she left.

"We not passively ride centaurs like humans ride the dumb ponies. When an elf be perching on a centaur their magic mingles naturally. Our minds be melding and only with the special giftsies of our races working together flawlessly do we have the true sight."

"Can you see the future now then? "Draco asked.

Firenz and Harly looked at each other for a long moment, something unspoken passing between them.

"We could," Firenz said. "But what we can see will be limited without a true bond."

"It also be intimate and Harly be needing permission. Bonded elves never be running with Star-gazers in Harly's memory. Not know what might happen. Harly also be with child." She patted her stomach affectionately. Now that it would not be sold and slaughtered, Harly let the babe form the attachment all elves began with their mothers in utero.

There were murmured congratulations and exclamations of excitement from most of the girls in the room. “With bond, run strengthen babe. Without, put babe at risk. Magic of sight is tricky and unpredictable when partners not be properly connected.” Harly thought for a moment. “With Harry’s permission, Harly be running to show young witches and wizardses once baby comes. Many decades pass since any be running.”

"I trust you Harly. You have my permission if you want it." Using the limited telepathy he gained from his animagus, since he was utter rubbish in Legimancy, he spoke to Harly in her mind to give her a second permission. Her eyes widened in shock and awe. She leaned forward to whisper to Firenze, whose eyes also widened.

He bent one knee to give Harry a full centaur bow with two fingers pressed to his lips, the ground, and his forehead before standing. "I owe you a great boon Lord Potter."

"With it, I ask only that you warn me of any danger you see on your run if I can do anything to prevent it."

"As I would do so regardless, the boon remains unfulfilled."

Harry nodded before filing out of the room with the rest of the class as the block ended.

After a rather eventful day, it was nice to finish up in Herbology. Neville taught almost as much as Sprout did as they went over the year plan quickly and dove into a lecture on DragonFire Foxglove. Harry, who had dealt with the plant on occasion before, worked on autopilot while thinking of his upcoming date.

“You’re bound to get hurt if you live in your mind so completely Harry,” Luna, his seat partner in this class, said as she continued to wax the leaves of the plant. Said plant purred happily at her gentle attention.

“Are you really one to talk?”

“Oh yes, I have lots of experience.”

They shared a smile.

“Plus, Bjorn here almost nipped your fingers off twice when you tried to snip his new buds rather than milking them for his fire essence. I saved them.”

“Thanks for that.”

Luna beamed. “You’re very welcome. You know, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that you only came for seventh year.”

“Why not?”

“One year to find your soulmate? Doesn’t that seem like an artfully contrived time frame to put tension on your narrative? You killed Voldemort at fifteen right? Why not come last year to give yourself more time? Surely nothing could be more important.”

“It wasn’t safe for me in Britain and I had a lot of Death Eaters to finish off.”

“Right. Seems a bit flimsy though, doesn’t it?”

“How do you know I’m searching for them anyway?” he whispered.

“You just confirmed it,” she whispered back. “Besides, you’re a hopeless romantic. Not that that’s bad. I think it’s sweet.” Luna cuddled up to his side and stayed pressed against him the rest of the block. “And don’t worry about Hermione,” she said before he could mention it. “We are close. Too close for you to get between us unless that’s what we want.”

She winked up at him. Unbidden, a vision of him pressed between her and Hermione rose in his mind. His member twitched in interest and he shook the thought from his head firmly. None of that would be remotely possible of either girl were his soulmate, an outcome he hoped for more and more by the minute.

“Don’t worry Harry, We’ll take care of you.”

She’s innocent, he reminded himself. She meant as friends.

Luna blushed and smiled to herself as he struggled to get his hormones under control.

***

Ron finally snapped during the feast.

“Let me into the common room you self-important bitch!”

Hermione’s ward still filtered out his words, but the soup he tossed at her face caught her attention. Of course, it never landed.

Harry, who sat next to Hermione and played with her fingers on the table, performed a wandless, wordless rebound spell.

The soup scalded Ron’s already beat-red face.

Hermione dropped the wards, compassion rushing to her face, but quickly squashed. “Honestly Ron,” she said with a tsk. “You’ve got to be more careful.”

“So you can bloody well hear me!” Ron absentmindedly vanished the soup, taking a chunk of his drenched hair with it. “Right ruddy fun you’ve had at my expense today. What, go laugh in a corner while snogging your boyfriend? I heard you were banging out front of transfiguration today.”

“You’ve no right to judge me. You spread the clapp through half of Hufflepuff last year. And I do mean half. Hornby was it? Can’t imagine how uncomfortable that would be up the arse. Though, I suppose he didn’t feel much until after.”

Ron, who was truly too dense to understand the penis quip my himself, quickly caught in as sniggers broke out around him.

“Oi, watch yourself Hermione.”

“Or what? You’ll make my life difficult? You’ve dragged me done for six years Ronald. Not much more you can do now is there?”

“You’re nothing without me. Just a stuck up know-it-all who hides behind her grades so people forget she’s just a useless mudblood.”

Silence spread through the entirety of the Great Hall as Ron hollered his retort.

Hermione’s face was smooth and expressionless. With a twitch of her wrist, she sent an invisible curse towards the git’s groin.

“It’s lucky the Weasley’s have other sons to pass on the precious pure blood family name. I pity any girl who decides to give you a real chance, Weasel, and I fear for the world if you somehow manage to pass on your genes. I don’t believe the world could survive two gits as daft, lazy, and inconsiderate as you messing about.

You most certainly do not have permission to reenter Gryffindor tower, and you will certainly never gain it from me.” With cool dismissal, Hermione flounced out of the room, dragging a laughing Harry behind her and followed by Neville and Luna.

In the hall, Ginny caught up to them.

“He’s a git, but did he really deserve that?” she asked.

“Locking him out or castrating him?” Hermione asked without turning.

“You castrated him?” Ginny paused, gobsmacked, for several minutes before hurrying to catch up. “How? Why?”

“I got very good at detectionless impotence charms in fourth year,” Hermione said. “It doesn’t take much tweaking to make them permanent. As for why, he’s a stain on humanity that should never be allowed to procreate.”

“Is that really your call?”

“Look Ginny,” Hermione whirled to face her, and the ginger took a quick step back. “I have had a trying couple days with your brother and am not feeling all that generous with my affection toward any of your family at the moment. I suggest you back off.”

With one fervent, almost adoring glance at Harry that was so quick he might have imagined it, Ginny hurried back toward the great hall.

***

Someone, most likely Ginny, let Ron back in the tower that night. However, for once he showed some sense and went straight to bed.

Draco, who, along with Luna, had come to hang out with Harry and, by association, Hermione, snickered as Ron passed. For a moment, fury flashed over Ron’s face. He mutter something about slimy Slitherins on his turf, but there was no heat or volume behind it so the trio let it slide.

“So,” Draco said. “Have you met Potter’s elves yet?”

“She has,” Luna said, “though she may not know as they were masquerading as Hogwarts elves at the time.”

Hermione whipped around to glare at Harry suspiciously. He raised his hand defensively and called Dobby and Zaldey. Her eyes softened, taking in their well groomed appearance.

“Zaldey was the first house elf I bonded with once my core matured at eleven. He was with my family before the war and would have died protecting my parents if they hadn’t commanded him to flee with me. He was immobilized before he could and given to a Death Eater when his bond was forcibly broken from my family. Dobby is one of the four Draco leant to me until he has learned to take better care of those in his service. I would like both of you to meet Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood.”

“Zaldey be knowing Miss Granger well, but he be very pleased to make her acquaintances without the pretending.” He took her offered hand reverently and kissed the back. While Master Potter shook elves’ hands freely, finding others who did be very rare indeed.

“How do you know me?”

“Zaldey be the first to watch over you,” he said, puffing his chest out with pride. “After Miss almost got smashed by trollsies, Master ask Zaldey to watch Hogwarts and keep special eye on you. Lucky Master did. Zaldey call him when Miss almost get eated by big mean snakey.”

Hermione’s eyes widened as she looked from Zaldey to Harry. “It was you,” she murmured. “All these years, I thought I had imagined you. You- you saved my life.”

Harry waved that off. “It’s a hobby of mine. You’re a particularly fine damsel and were in a great deal of distress.”

“I’ll leave you love birds to it,” Draco said and offered Luna his hand. They were both a bit hesitant about contact, but didn’t have nearly the history he and Hermione did. In fact, Draco had secretly taken Luna to the infirmary when he found her unconscious and bleeding by the kitchens one night. He doubted she knew. She did.

“I’ll see you for your table dance tomorrow Potter.” They blond left, satisfaction and jealousy fighting for prominence in his heart. Luna trailed behind him like a puppy.

After talking to the house elves another hour or so, she did join Harry in his rooms for the night. However, they merely stayed up talking into the early hours of the morning.

Hermione fell asleep against his chest as the sun broke the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the reads and kudos! I've posted some original stuff before, but don't network or promote so it barely scraped past 1,000 views over several months. 
> 
> Anyway, I included this note to let you all know I'll be uploading every Saturday or Sunday in an attempt to keep a few chapters ahead of you. While I generally know where the story is going, two or three chapters behind me are in danger of being seriously revised at any time. I don't want to upload anything just to make significant changes a few days later. That said, comments and critiques are always welcome! I will keep them in mind.
> 
> PS Let me know if you feel strongly about having the spaces between the paragraphs or not. I think it looks a lot better, but it takes a long time to format with the HTML formatting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I tried to get this chapter up yesterday, but had computer issues.

In the morning, Harry got quite a terrible idea. With a broad grin, he dressed early and made his way down to the admin office. 

Hermione had left early to get the first years ready and make sure they had all gotten around alright yesterday. He'd have to ask her to wake him up next time. Waking to an empty bed when he'd gone to sleep with her pressed to his chest was somewhat jarring and disheartening. 

After setting his truly horrendous plan in motion, he joined Hermione for breakfast. 

"What's got you so chipper first thing Potter?" Draco had come to sit with him, shunning the perplexed Slytherin's whose elitist attitudes were reminding him more and more of his father by the hour. 

The Gryffindors were weary of the boy who'd made most of their lives miserable on at least one occasion. However, they were properly wowed by Harry and quite attached to Hermione who, while a bit frosty to the blond, tolerated him. The others took her lead.

Draco knew full well that he had a lot of apologies to make before he'd be welcome. Perfect.

"Just a little adjustment to my schedule that will let me spend more time with this pretty lady."

"You better not have dropped divination for arithmancy," Hermione cautioned, while sitting beside Harry. Her preoccupation with getting the first years settled kept her from flashing Harry a glare or thinking too much about the conversation. 

"Course not. I’ve never had a head for numbers. I'll get more time with you too Draco."

The Slytherin thought about it for a moment before his eyes widened in awe and a bit of horror. He knew of his history with Snape. The same history that led Hermioneto assume he'd dropped divination, the only other class they didn't share. The reaction in class would be priceless. Best not to ruin the surprise. Draco’s lips twitched up. Hermione turned back to the boys, a slight v between her brows.

"Seamus," he said quickly to the boy sitting across from him. "I'm sorry I’ve been such a tosser. My father taught me to act a certain way, but I've come to realize our actions and outlook were wrong. Ultimately my actions were my own and I'm sorry."

Silence dominated the pocket of the Gryffindor table that had heard the unexpected apology.

"Watcha apologizing for exactly mate?" 

"How I've treated you, all of you. I don't remember exactly, but that made you the easiest to start with."

Seamus grinned widely. "You didn't do nothing to me. My mam's a friend of your pa."

The whole table had a laugh at that and began to include Draco in the general discussion. They were a far cry from being pals with the previous Death Eater jr edition, but he had made the first step and the Gryffindors were willing to honor that initiative as long as he continued to make amends.

And he did. Over the next week, Draco would personally apologize to every one of them for what he remembered. For those he didn't remember doing anything specific to he made a general apology for being a prick. Within the month, the Gryffindor would welcome him as a fast friend.

The three headed down to Care of magical Creatures with Ron fuming behind them at the head of the rest of the class trailing down the path.

Harry had one of the best surprises of the year and Hagrid had engineered it knowing Harry would be attending.

Everyone was given an egg or newborn creature. Each was allowed to pick, not knowing which creature would be under the curtain. Except Harry. Hagrid approached him with a soft palm sized off white egg.

"The others're random, but McGonagall said ye may like this un best being a parsle mouth an' all."

"Thanks professor. You didn't have to do that." Harry could tell a magical snake grew inside, but not the species. "What is it?"

"Call me Hagrid please Lord Potter. An' sorry. Can't right tell you that. Identifying it is your first test. Of course if any of this lot don't get it proper I'll correct em right quick so they can care for em proper.

Have a look see through your book or see if you can talk to 'em 'fore hatching time. Snake eggs are tricky to identify, but this little fella is pretty unique."

Hagrid had to move on.

Harry stowed the egg in a pocket he magically padded and laced with a heating charm to keep it the same 94° as the box it had previously rested in. Not an elemental viper if it didn't have to remain in its element to incubate.

He moved on to check on his friends. Draco had also chosen a snake egg as none of them were covered like the mammals. Draco, however, was wearing gloves to hold his egg in a clear box of unmeltable ice.

"Ice elemental viper?" 

"Figure so."

"You'll have someone to practice with." 

"I'm really not very good." 

"Talking to a real snake is easiest. You could practice with one of mine before it hatches if you like."

"You have snakes here?"

Harry shook his head.

"Paperwork hasn't gone through yet. Walk into Hogsmeade with us Saturday, if Hermione doesn't mind, and I'll leave you with Sirius. He has them. Best bring any letters you got for him," he added in a whisper. The other boys' eyes lit up.

"Ask me what?" Hermione walked up with a pillow sized, half furry half scaled something cradled in her arms.

"If it's not too much of an imposition, may I accompany you and Mr. Potter to his fathers' house in Hogsmeade?" Draco said stiffly.

In the interest of their budding cordiality toward each other, Hermione gave a curt nod. Draco exhaled and offered an uncertain smile that was returned with the barest hint of warmth.

The progress between the former enemies and two students he was developing genuine affection for set Harry grinning broadly.

"Whatcha got there Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I'm not quite sure," she replied, “but I believe she likes me."

She shifted the creature so they could have a proper look.

The creature had the head and wings of a falcon, the body of a siberian tiger, and tail of a black mamba.

Harry took an involuntary step back. "That," he said, pulling Draco back a step, “is a Nochnaya Strakh, which loosely translates from Russian meaning 'night fear’. They're revered as something akin to gods of death over there and are exceedingly rare. Hagrid!"

“I think she’s cute,” Luna said walking up to the group with a small foxes curled in her cupped hands. “This is Solaris. She’s a firefox.” 

The creature untucked its head to look up at the new humans curiously. She had a black body with red, orange, white, and violet patterns up her snout, in her ears and down her chest that made brilliant flame patterns. She had three dark blue spikes up the bridge of her nose much like a dragon and golden antlers above her pointed ears. She was gorgeous and, thankfully, mostly harmless. Fully grown, fire foxes had control over elemental fire, but that would take at least four months. Even so, they were mostly docile and made good pets. 

“At least not all the animals are deadly,” Harry grumbled. “Hagrid!”

Solaris huffed at being dismissed so easily and crawled into Luna’s pocket to take a nap. 

When their teacher came over, Harry turned an accusing glare toward him. "Do you know what that is?" 

"Do you?"

"Deadly and illegal. You gave it to Hermione?" 

"Perfectly safe. Hermione there is the first being it saw. Imprints they do, like ducks."

"That thing is not a duck. It might not hurt Hermione, but could easily kill the rest of us with a peck."

Draco took another step back.

"Nonsense. Be another week until its venom could kill a magical. Muggle maybe. Here's the antidote though 'Ermione. Professor Snape is brewin more for ye, but that should be good till you can get 'er trained a bit."

"Can they be trained?" Hermione took the six offered vials with a shaky hand. Meanwhile, Luna tickled the little monster under it’s feathered chin. It seemed to approve and began butting her head against Luna for more affection. 

"Course they can! Amazing creatures. Can speak telepathically in a few weeks. Can already understand Russian and, cause of 'er bond with ye, English."

"They can understand parsel tongue too," Harry said. "Can't you gorgeous?" he asked.

The creature cocked her head and began to struggle to reach Harry. Once he nodded, Hermione passed her over.

Immediately she perched on his arm, tail wrapped around his wrist for balance, and butted her head against his chest with a half trill half hiss. He understood it as a greeting and request to translate for mother.

"My pleasure pretty girl." She trill hissed more. It took a little bit of guesswork to figure out the bits that were more bird than snake.

"She would like a rat and a name." 

Hagrid handed Hermione a rat which she absently tossed to the creature, who swallowed it whole with little difficulty.

"Well done Harry. 15 points for knowing the animal and that it spoke parseltongue which makes sense but was news to me." He gave Malfoy 10 for knowing his and Harry another 5 when he identified his egg as coming from a Fulgari. They were also incredibly rare, expensive, and powerful. Parselmouths sought them for their unique lightning abilities and the power it could amplify in a ritual. Besides their conscious control of electricity and electric fields at maturity, they could turn invisible and aparate instinctually.

"Hagrid this," Harry choked up but willed his voice to be steady. "May I keep them?"

"All of em are on loan, as it were, from their home countries. However, if any of you lot bond, naturally mind, to your animal than you can buy em for half the wholesale price. That was the best I could do for ya 'Army. As ye can prob'ly guess. I ain't got 50,000 galleons layin about or I'd've bought 'em for ya." Hagrid's accent thickened when he got emotional and the sheer joy on Harry s' face was doin a number on 'im.

"You've done far too much by letting me have the year with him. Thank you. I’ll figure it out." While the class would all learn proper care for all the creatures, raising their own for ten months was the only class project. "I can't repay you for this."

"’Arry, I left you on those dreadful muggles doorstep. When Sirius found 'ye 'alf dead at five I -- well I never recovered. I've thought of ye every day since leavin you. I shoulda known. Shoulda- shoulda.- "Hagrid held back tears but couldn't continue.

"You couldn't have known. You were only following orders. Dumbledore’s orders." Harry’s mood turned dark as he thought of the abuse, neglect, and Dumbledore’s role. He shook it off with difficulty and turned his attention back to Hagrid. "If it helps, I Harry James Potter, formally forgive you, Robins Hagrid for any past wrongdoing towards me, whether real or perceived."

Three or four large tears did slip out of the half giants eyes. "Thank ye 'Arry. Now then, gotta make sure all 'em others got their animals figured out before you lot head off."

"Noch, "Hermione said, indicating the small death machine preening for Harry's affection, which he gave by stroking her feathers the way Hedwig liked. "To honor her Russian heritage. What do you think cutie?"

After a moment of thought, she trilled a happy nonsense sound and attempted to fly back to Hermione. Her fledgling wings couldn't hold her for more than a moment, but Harry and Hermione caught her.

“Let's work on your wing strength before any more flights, okay?"

Noch nodded and began beating her fluffy wings steadily while perched on Hermione's shoulder.

Potions was rather droll. Slughorn reminded them of his party that night. While Hermione and Harry would be late, which Slughorn pouted about, they assured him they'd be there.

Harry had been waiting all morning to walk Hermione to DADA and did so gleefully.

"Shouldn't you get to Runes?" Hermione asked with a nervous glance up to Shapes' office.

"Signed up for DADA this morning. Babbling released me from class, since I'm going to the specialized sessions with you." He sat beside her.

“Harry, are you sure this is a good idea? If you're only here to aggravate him-"

"I'm here to assess his validity as a professor. He's got his international Newt in Potions, but has only mastered Defense at the national level, which to me makes him unqualified. More concerning is the evidence of abuse and favoritism I've dredged up over the years. And yes, I'm here to piss him off. There are lots of students he's had and will have who he doesn't like. I'm not going to try to irk him, Hermione, but I have to see if he's heeded any of the numerous warnings he's been issued."

"And if he hasn't?" 

Harry shrugged. "It's my duty as Heir of Gryffindor to remove any unfit personnel from my castle."

"By ‘my castle,' you don’t mean -- Hogwarts doesn’t belong to you, does it?" 

Harry was delayed in answering by Snape descending from his office on high to begin the lesson.

As promised, Harry snapped his mouth shut and made no attempt to gain his attention.

While Snape wrote on the board, Draco slipped in at the last minute. His eyes widened in shock and he paused before joining Harry at the front rather than take the seat Daphne Greengrass saved him at the back.

The slighted girl watched Draco pass her up for Potter, her head tilted in concentration. It seemed the balance of power was shifting in the school. She had to decide whether to shift or stay in her comfortable Slytherin niche. Her younger sister, Astoria, touted Potter’s praises in the common room. If her boyfriend was passing her up too, it may be time to pay attention. Daphne wasn't a fool. She knew Draco only feigned affection for her, but she was using him for status, so it mattered little to her where he got his jollies.

"Is this wise Lord?" Draco muttered as he sat.

"Well if you two are both questioning me, perhaps not. It will be fun though."

"Silence, "Snape hissed and finished at the board to turn to the class. 

Everyone held their breath as the former potions teacher's eyes narrowed on Harry Potter. The amount of times he'd tried to get the ex-Death Eater sacked was no secret. Harry made sure the Daily Profit wrote a prominent article on every attempt.

Everyone wanted to witness the initial confrontation; however, no one figured Potter would waltz into Snape's domain.

"Mr. Potter," Snape said. "I seem to remember you saying this class was remedial and beneath you." 

"Well you're welcome to prove me wrong, but I'm here to make sure you're skilled enough, given your qualifications are somewhat lacking."

Snape ground his teeth, but refused to give Potter the satisfaction of rising to his taunts. He began his lesson, doing his best to ignore the boy analyzing his every move and writing the occasional note that Severus knew had nothing to do with the protego shield he had the group practice.

The class passed without incident until the last five minutes, at which time Potter took advantage of the students gathering their things to leave to give him a performance review of sorts.

"Well done professor," he said. "An adequate lesson besides a bit of favoritism and the obvious shortcomings of the protective spell in question."

"Shortcomings?"

"It is a rather basic sheild that wouldn’t slow any of the more deadly curses and which they should have mastered before their Owls."

The class was silent. Those who had made to leave took a seat. A vein throbbed in Snape's temple.

"Its' a fairly well rounded shield Potter, and can protect from most attacks students may face if produced with enough skill and power."

"As a teacher, you'd be able to provide both. Class is almost over, but how about a little demo? I'll attack you with skills these students would know midway through first year."

Part of him knew it wasn't a great idea, but a much larger part needed to wipe that smug smile off James's stupid face.

"Protego maxima! Snape intoned, pouring as much strength as he had into it.

"Wingardium leviosa.” Harry sent desk after desk at the professor. The protego spell sapped the force out of the incoming objects but couldn't stop them entirely as the spell was meant for attack spells like stupefy, most binding and cutting spells, not projectiles.

Snape, preoccupied with batting off the desks. didn't notice Harry muttering to transfigure a large swath of the floor behind him into sand and loose pebbles. While transfiguring anything into a new product would be beyond first years, breaking an item into smaller chunks of itself was childs' play.

Predictably, Snape fell back into the loose pebbles and sunk. As soon as his wand arm and feet were submerged. Harry reformed the floor with nary a thought. The fully active shield didn't have any defense against the environmental onslaught and burst under the pressure.

"It doesn't take the most complex spells to disable an opponent with a very specific defense. If you know your defense spells well enough, you can target their weaknesses. Protego is a good defense against magical restraint and incapacitation, but, with a little creativity, mundane attacks can overwhelm it. If Professor Snape were facing a well trained muggle and only knew that one spell, the muggle would probably win."

As Harry helped Snape out of the floor, the professor scoffed.

"Don't believe me? I can go again without magic."

Snape's eyes widened as he felt the strength of the grip, lithe figure, and assured set to his eyes. Snape misread the look. Potter wasn't cocky, he was competent and knew it.

"I wouldn't want to keep anyone from their next class. No slips will be given out." He stalked back to his office while the chuckling chatting masses dispersed. That Potter. In his class. Every day. He had to talk to the headmaster.

***

Transfiguration passed slowly. McGonagall started by handing out the mandrake leaves to those who wanted to start on animagus forms. They had to be held under the tongue for a month straight. If they were spit out the student had to start over. After the month, a painstakingly complex potion was created. The leaf was a key ingredient. McGonagall had given them two weeks to chant an incantation at every moon rise and moonset while the potion steeped somewhere dark and dank. During this time, they had to meditate to find their form. At the two weeks' end, Firenze had predicted a lightning storm they would need to bath in, chant the incantation, and drink the potion.

Then the real work began. The students would have the potential to transform, but making that first change was immensely difficult. The first time students had to transfigure every piece of their anatomy precisely and with their wand. If they managed their first go they would be able to shift wandless at will.

Many magicals were too lazy and didn’t see enough benefit.

Spurred by McGonagall, 80% of the class took a leaf. Harry predicted about 30% of those, about 5 people, would have the skill, determination, and power necessary to succeed.

"You're not taking a leaf?" 

Hermione shook her head. "I finished the potion last year."

"Of course, "Draco mumbled around is deaf. She ignored him. 

"I'm rubbish at meditation. Six weeks. Wish me luck."

"Would you like help? I had to get good at it to perfect my occlumency."

Hermione nodded sadly, thinking of the hardships the charming boy went through to defeat Voldemort. "Thank you. That would be lovely."

Draco tried to work with the pair on their gold conversion for the rest of class, but was outmatched and struggled to cast clearly with the leaf under his tongue.

Hermione couldn’t quite keep a smug grin off her face. Draco nearly speechless for a month. Christmas had come early. 

Harry, who had gotten his lead looking exactly like gold but was struggling with the molecular composition took pity on his friend. "Have you heard of speechless casting?"

Draco shook his head.

"There is both speechless and wandless casting. You are a magical being. You don't see house elves chanting or waving wands. Both are tools to help focus you. The words are meaningless, they just focus your will and intent. Raise your wand and focus on the word lumos. Picture the outcome you want and will it to happen."

There was a brief flicker at the tip of his wand.

"Don't get discouraged. Great work for a first attempt. Keep practicing."

Harry, whose life had been in perpetual danger since he was a year old, hated being dependent on anything. Since he turned thirteen, Harry had worked tirelessly at both silent and wandless casting. Besides Dumbledore, he had become the leading expert by the time he turned sixteen. Most magicals simply didn't have the drive or focus to accomplish the feat when spoken spells and wands made things so much easier. Harry could do most magic silent and wandless. Only the most complex magic, such as the statues for his qualifier, required his wand and even then he could have done it silently. However, the Ministry paid special attention to magicals they couldn't track through their wand use. Harry used his wand just enough that he got away with going wandless for what he wanted to keep hidden.

Draco worked on the light charm while Harry and Hermione worked on their galleons.

By the end of the class, Harry brought the forgery to McGonagall to demonstrate transfiguring the coin from gold to lead and back to gold.

"Well done Lord Potter. How long have you been working on this?"

He shrugged. "About two weeks. I was focusing on my animagus control first."

"Twenty points, Potter. I understand that Mr Potter is a bit of a prodigy, so if any of you are able to produce the effect as flawlessly as he just demonstrated by the end of the month you will earn fifty points for your house. "

Murmurs ran throughout the class. Fifty points was unheard of. It made them appreciate the difficulty of the task all that more. That said, it did not change their perception of Harry. They knew to expect impossible things from him. This feat only proved the validity of their awe and, in some cases, adoration.

Despite chanting to herself that she certainly was not intimidated by Harry, she jabbed a bit too hard at her yellowed lead galleon and sent it skittering off the table to clink several times as it settled on the stone floor. She flushed.

Draco stooped to retrieve the coin and held it out.

“Thank you.”

He nodded. 

She sighed and muttered viscosi, which stuck the leaf to the underside of Draco’s tongue with a temporary charm.

To his credit, Draco’s alarm fled his eyes in seconds. “Thank you. Will the potion still work?”

“Mine did,” she said with a shrug. “Well, it felt like the text said it aught anyway. 

“Clever work around.”

“It’s simple really. You lot overlook magic quite a bit for growing up with it.”

***

Harry had a long lunch. Since he took a seven course load in an eight block day, he had a spare that happened to land on the block after lunch.

Yesterday, Draco had been with him, but Hermione had talked him into joining her class. Once they left, Harry found himself alone. Sirius had been ever present since he saved him from the Dursleys. With a pang, Harry felt the loss that had been held off by his friends.

He found a solitary corner and made sure no one was watching before apparating away. As Heir of Gryffindor, the castle trusted him enough to leave a back door of sorts through the wards that were keyed to his magical signature. Dumbledore might be able to feel him leave, but as Harry was of age, there was little he could do.

***

Dumbledore did feel Harry leave and instantly knew, as suspected, that Harry was indeed responsible for killing the basilisk, stealing the philosopher's stone before he could bait Voldemort with it, along with a handful of other 'heroic' deeds over the past six years.

The headmaster grit his teeth. Hogsmeade visits were one thing, but with the ability to come and go effortlessly, Harry would be able to turn to Sirius for any needs he felt the school couldn't provide. He knocked the delicate crystal device he was working on to the ground. It shattered in a brilliant tinkling display of iridescent destruction.

With a sigh, Dumbledore repaired the device. The intricate latticework of magic running through it would never be quite the same, but his anger had ebbed.

***

As this visit was his first, Harry had not been keyed to Sirius's wards at the Shrieking Shack. He walked from the road and paused before knocking. As a child, he'd walked into Sirius's bedroom without knocking. Not an experience to repeat. He couldn't have expected Harry to drop in and who knew what the man got up to now that he had a whole house to himself.

A bedraggled and bleary eyed Sirius opened the door.

"Whatcha doing knocking, pup?" 

"Its' almost one o'clock. What are you doing asleep?"

"There's no needy child to keep on a 'proper' schedule. I'm reverting to my natural hedonistic ways. It's not the weekend yet, is it?"

"I have this block free, thought I'd pop in." 

"How long does it take to get here?"

“Less than second.”

Sirius keyed him to the wards before showing him around the box laden house. Harry set the boxes to opening and the items zipping around to place themselves sensibly.

"Thanks. Haven't gotten around to it." 

"It's not like it’s a chore. We've got magic." 

"Casting the spells for a chore feels like one if you've had magic forever."

Most people would assume Harry took magic for granted, since his power exceeded the norm. However, he remembered the starvation and hardships of the Dursley's 'care', despite his young age. Magic would never lose its luster. He would never stop striving to learn more.

Sirius led him up rickety stairs.

"Don't fix 'em," Sirius said, preempting Harry's next spell. "The squeak is part of the charm."

"Sentimental old hound." 

"Nothing wrong with the glory days." 

"Locked up with your werewolf mate trying to kill you."

"Exactly. Here you go." Sirius led him into his room. It looked like the only room Sirius had unpacked, and that only as far as getting the bed and snakes set up.

"Hello my lovelies."

Four gorgeous snakes answered with excited nonsense hisses.

His first snake was Zeus, a fifteen year old male boa that had asked Harry to free him from the London Zoo. Sirius had taken him for his birthday and bought the brown snake with pale diamond patterns as a present. Although they knew about Harry's parselmagic much earlier, it was the first time he felt he did something meaningful with the ability.

Spurred by the idea of helping the gorgeous, yet misunderstood creatures, Harry opened a snake emporium by twelve named Potter's Pythons. The elves mostly ran the place along with a few magicals he employed.

Along with the showroom, they bred and rescued snakes of all kinds, but specialized in endangered magical snakes. Elemental vipers, which were vipers with properties aligned with an element, were the most common. The Mongolian Death Worm, a sightless red two-foot snake resembling a worm, was the most lethal. Touching it would result in paralysis and death. It could shoot both venom and electric shocks six feet, which were its primary hunting techniques. Only the one parseltongue Harry employed dealt with those. Nahesa were not endangered, but they were worshipped in Hawaii. Harry had gotten special dispensation from the island’s magicals to become a registered breeder of the small winged snakes. Rainbow boas took on a new meaning emitting different colored light based on mood. Their bites could cure almost anything or kill almost instantly depending on the snake's need. He had a breeding pair of occamy who were gorgeous teal, violet, and turquoise. They could shrink to the size of a pinky or grow upwards of twenty five feet and fly. Most people bred them for their silver eggs. However, they only produced 2-5 eggs every 2-4 years and were very protective and parental. Harry did not force them to give up their eggs. In return they gave him the shells and trusted him with any young they were incapable of raising. 

The very first they had trusted him with was Violet, the florescent pink occamy who hadn't developed correctly in the egg and couldn't grow more than six feet. She was outgoing, hyper, and oddly enough independently produced rose gold infertile eggs every year like clockwork and left them for Harry.

Daphne and Velma were his double headed elemental viper. A careless, and since fired, employee left a fire and an ice elemental box side by side as their eggs incubated. Curious about the presence she felt by her, Velma, the fire elemental, apparated early to check out her neighbor. She couldn't survive in nor escape the ice box. Risking her own life, Daphne attempted to apparate her friend out and the two splinched together. Harry only trusted himself to care for them and had worried about leaving them with Sirius until their paperwork went through.

He also owned a runespoor. This was a three headed snake measuring seven feet of orange and black stripes. The right head was responsible for planning and deciding which way to go. The middle dreamed and could, on occasion, glimpse the future, though not in a way magicals could use or even make sense of. The left criticised the other two. Because of this, the two other heads would often bite off the left, but never managed to survive more than a year or two after. Harry s' snake stayed balanced most times since the left head, Mary, was more a downer than a critic and would only complain that whatever scheme they were about would fail. She had a protective cone in their enclosure she could slip into, but it hadn't ever been necessary. Winifred, or Winie, filled the planning role and Sarah the dreamer. Collectively, he often referred to them as the Sanderson Sisters. Though her eggs would sell well, he only bred Runespoor when their numbers in the wild dipped too low. They were cunning, devious, and prone to fits of violence and cruelty. Even parselmouths couldn't control them. Runespoor were not pets. They allowed magicals to give them a life of luxury now and then.

Harry let all of them out of their tanks and lay on the floor. While they didn't all get along, none of them would risk Harry's short visit by acting out.

“The old one means well," Zeus, the male boa and only mundane snake in his personal collection, said. "However, we’ve grown accustomed to having a master who can commune with us." Zeus prided himself on his vocabulary and grasp of grammar. 

“Yes," Violet said. "The dog feeds us. We been trapped in our tanks for days.” Zipped about the room while the others all found a piece of Harry to wrap around.

“I'm bringing Zeus with me today. Violet, I don't think your paperwork will go through until the weekend. As the more dangerous, it might take another week for the rest of you,” he said to Velma, Daphne and the Sanderson Sisters. The Sisters didn't mind and Daphna was rather laid back, Velma expressed her impatience.

“What do they think I’ll do? Blow up their castle?"

"Well," Harry said, "you could set it on fire."

“Maybe I will. Stupid humans keeping me from my master."

Velma continued to mumble, but Daphne spoke up. "How goes finding your Queen, my king?""

“I'm not sure. I'll bring a girl that has potential on Saturday. Perhaps you'll be able to sense something I can't. Right now, we're both testing the water so no spooking her with any your ‘majesty’ or any of that stuff. Understand?"”

They all hissed their consent before filling him in on how their lives had been the last few days. They all tolerated Sirius well enough, but clearly missed his more personal touch.

After catching up, Harry went to find Sirius. The Sisters returned to their enclosure Velma and Daphne shrunk to five feet and hung around his neck. Zeus and Violet wandered the house.

"You know," Harry said fixing his father tea and coffee for himself, "sticking to a schedule might be good for you. What are you going to be doing here during the week?"

Sirius shrugged. "Thought I might take a vacation."

"Ten months is not a vacation."

“I'm the adult. I decide how long a vacation can be."

"If you want to drive yourself crazy, be my guest."

"I've dealt with isolation before pup."

“Eight years ago and I'm not convinced you completely recovered. Find a job, a hobby, a friend. Something."

"Alright alright." Sirius raised his hands in surrender. "I'll go out and scope out the town now that we're unpacked." He looked over at the stack of empty, broken down boxes by the door. "I'm supposed to be the one taking care of you."

"Can't take care of anyone if you don't take care of yourself."

"Nah." He waved the sentiment off. "You've been taking care of me since you were five. Raising you brought me back to life pup. A life I'd given up on ever reclaiming. I couldn't be prouder of the man you're becoming."

"Thanks Dad."

They talked of less serious matters before Harry had to round up the snakes and pop back to the castle with Zeus and his enclosure.

***

After dinner, Harry and Hermione made their way to Professor Babbling's office. For an hour, they outlined what the pair already knew, what their individual goals were, and what Babbling wanted to teach both of them during their sessions when they weren't going over their progress.

Once both students had worked out individual. plans for the semester they thanked Babbling and went to get changed.

Outside Gryffindor tower, Harry thought for a moment and took Hermione's hand.

"Trust me, "he said. "Don't fight it." He apparated them to the shop. Potters' Apparel.

"Is this where you make your house elf uniforms?" Hermione took in the reams of fabric, racks of clothes, and busy elves. 

"Yep. They also make clothes for both magical and muggles. Cismy."

The old house elf popped in with a curtsy for both of them. "Lord, Miss. How might Cismy help?"

"We've got a party to go to and wish to outshine the rest. Show Hermione everything you've got on hand and tailor anything she likes to her. Rush order I'm afraid, but with more warning we can get something custom for you."

"This is far too generous Harry. I can't accept. I've got some things from last year."

"That they've already seen you in? I made your life difficult by asking you out. Let me help quell the hateful gossip by making you look the part of the high born lady for those snobs."

Hermione laughed. "How will wearing a pretty dress help? Oh that is nice." Despite her words, she admired the dresses as Cismy presented them.

"Trust me. I've had to rub elbows with these people a time or two. Their respect is gained by flashing the trinkets they can afford or, better yet, ones that are out of their price range. Try it for tonight."

Hermione looked skeptical but chose a dress and went off with two younger elves to be fitted. Cismy brought him a suit that would compliment Hermione's dress.  
“The Miss looks lovely. Master, and is kind besides." 

"She's passionate about elf rights." 

"She be telling me so in the fitting. Something about spewing? She try to free Hogwarts elves." She laughed, a sound that tinkled and rasped simultaneously. "The intentions be good, but master needs to show her better ways. Cismy be telling her elves starve for magic without bond. She be shocked."

"Not enough magicals know about house elves. I should talk to Hagrid. The curriculum doesn't require it, but I'm sure he could squeeze it in."

Hermione walked out in a deep burgundy dress that fell in gentle silk folds to right above her knees and a golden sash around her waist. The elves had found her black leggings with gold woven throughout. Harry decided it would be better not to tell her how much her outfit cost. Her parents were both dentists, but her middle class upbringing didn't hold a candle to the wealth his family left him. He fit in with the high nobility of both magical and muggles.

"You're gorgeous," he said. Without thinking, he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

She blushed and stammered. "Yes, well. These are very nice clothes. Thank you. You look nice too."

He wore a suit such a deep red it looked black with a maroon tie and pocket square that each had gold running through. 

He grinned. "Thank you Cismy. Great job, as always."

He offered Hermione his arm and apparated then to an alcove outside of Slughorn's party.

"Harry," she said, holding him back. "Did Dumbledore give you the ability to aparate in and out or is it something to do with being the Heir of Gryffindor?"

"Being the Heir. Dumbledore wouldn't give me that freedom, but the castle recognizes me."

Her brow furrowed. "Is that how you got into the chamber to kill the basilisk?"

He nodded. She answered with her own nod. 

Before walking into the party, he had her turn. With deft movements, he swept her hair to the side and clasped a delicate gold chain around her neck. A three centimeter square cut ruby sat in the middle of an intricate golden celtic knot a few inches above her generous cleavage. Her eyes widened as she saw it in her summoned mirror.

“Harry, I can’t --”

“Yes you can. It looks much better on you than gathering dust in a vault.” He waved off her protests and took her arm to lead her into the party. “Just a loaner I’m afraid. Family heirloom and all, but you can borrow it as long as you like.”

She looked relieved.

Classical music filled the air as richly dressed teens emulated their parents while practicing the art of forging connections and knowing which asses to kiss to get ahead.

Hermione sighed as she moved to begin mingling, but Harry moved to accompany her.

"No reason we have to face this torture alone." He winked and enjoyed her quiet laugh.

They ran into Blaise who, despite retaining his holier than thou air, took much more interest in Harry now that he'd arrived, and late no less, to this exclusive party dressed a hair nicer than himself. In the way only the very wealthy could, he assessed the pairs outfits and decided the approximate 25,000 galeon price tag could buy a conversation.

"Hello, "Blaise said, consenting to show his respect by speaking first.

"Hi," Harry said. "I believe we met in the carriage ride up to the castle.”

"Quite. Nice to see you again. Hermione. Still correcting the faculty I assume."

Hermione's eyebrows twitched in surprise, but she kept her poise. "Yes, well, someone must."

"Indeed. How are you finding our school Lord Potter?"

"Between us?" Harry leaned in conspiratorially. “Lacking in many ways. I intend to change that."

"Starting with the house elves?" Blaise sneered.

“My father told me once that the best way to get a man's true measure is to ask those so far beneath him that a lesser man may not notice they exist. Who do magicals see further beneath them than elves? Yet who at this party do you think would be able to run their house half as well without them?" The words could easily have been a condemnation, but delivered them in such an offhand way that they left Blaise looking thoughtful.

Hermione almost thought she understood what Ginny meant when she went on about Blaise’s looks without the constant contempt. Almost.

"That," she said as they walked away, "was amazing. I would have flown off the handle."

“You're brilliant Hermione, you are, but you'll never get these folks to listen with blatant critique."

"Certainly not if the past six years are any indication. I’ll follow your lead, but eventually hope you'll trust me enough to tell me your plan."

He paused. "I might already. Not here though." 

"Not here."

The pair continued to mingle through the crowd. A few were talented like Hermione and Neville, who they found charming a pretty blond by the horderves. She nodded politely to Harry and Hermione but lost interest when she couldn't monopolize Neville's attention and soon moved on.

"Look at you Mr. Smooth," Hermione said, nudging his arm. "Who's your new girlfriend?"

"What? We were just talking." 

"You were talking. She was deciding what she was willing to do to marry a soon-to-be Peer."

“Actually." Neville uncomfortably held up his right hand where the Longbottom crest rested heavy on his ring finger. "Gran would have wanted me to and Harry makes it look easy enough."

"Good man." Harry clapped his friend's shoulder. "You'll do your family and your gran proud."

Hermione set her hands on her hips. "You didn't do that for the rooms did you?"

"You seemed to enjoy them." Neville grinned. A furious blush climbed her face and she suddenly found her sash fascinating. 

"You know it wasn't like that." She straightened her back. "Not that it's any of your business, Lord Longbottom. I hope you take your responsibility as seriously as Harry."

He sobered. "That's what convinced me. I've always thought certain things that go on here were wrong. Harry's doing something about that. What am I doing moaning on my arse when I have almost as much power for positive change?"

"Glad to have you in the ranks." 

"Ranks? Who besides you gives a toss?"

"In power? Mostly foreign politicians who have spent too long passively criticising Britain for staying in the dark ages without doing anything and the sentient magical creatures that are suppressed by said outdated system."

"People are complacent. It's easier to go along with what's been done rather than fight against the traditions."

With Neville in tow, they circulated for a bit longer before being hailed over by their host.

"Harry my boy! With the ever brilliant Hermione. Good of you both to make it to our humble gathering." From anyone else it could easily have been an insult, but from the overindulgent, obliging Professor it was nothing more than butt kissing. "I see you've found the newest Peer of the Realm in our own young Lord Longbottom here."

"Yes. Though I haven't been able to find Draco Malfoy. Do you know where I might find him?"

"Not here I dare say. The young man wasn't invited."

"Why not?"

Slughorn shifted his large frame. "He doesn't come from the best stock, I'm afraid."

"He's next in line to become a Peer. There's little more prestigious than that in this society." Harry worked to keep his disdain for said society from both his face and voice.

"Yes well, it has more to do with behaviour than breeding in Mr Malfoy's case."

“Have you not heard all the effort he's been putting in to rectify past transgressions. I'd even heard he apologized to you for crashing one of these little soirees, or am I mistaken?"

“No, no. He did at that. The chap seems to be growing quite a bit this year. But well, you know," here his voice lowered to a whisper. "His father is rather notorious for consulting with You-know-who."

Harry stiffened and allowed a bit of disdain to colour his words. "Yes, I know quite well. After all, Voldemort was wearing Lucius when I killed him. I managed to spare Lucius, but slaughtered many Death Eaters that day. Some have called me a murderer for that. I don't disagree. Most of them were simple men sent to Hell for their intentions and I was the one wielding the sickle. So, Professor, you would have an unrepentant murderer of your party, but not a man trying to claw his way out of his fathers' shadow and atone for his own actions.”

"Well I, you see, I would never call you a murderer my Lord," for in this instance Harry embodied his title to every measure. "When you put it like that, I find my objection to the young lad quite insubstantial."

"Excellent. Well, it's getting late, but I trust that if I'm invited to another of your little parties I may bring Draco. Good evening, Professor.” With a slight nod, Harry turned to waltz through the stunned onlookers out into the hall followed by Hermione and Neville.

"That, "Neville said, "was bloody brilliant."

“He is a teacher though, Harry," Hermione said. 

"Doesn't stop him from being an elitist, self-indulgent git. I’ll rub elbows with the buggers, but I won't keep my thoughts to myself when they are being bigots."

Hermione bit her lower lip, but nodded.

"Shall we grab a cup of tea before bed?" Harry said. She took his offered arm as the three of them started up the stairs to Gryffindor tower.

Hermione would have had her cup in the common room and gone up to her own dorm, nice and proper, if they hadn't found Ron sneering at them when they walked in.

"Tea in your suite, Harry?" 

"Sure. Join us Neville?" 

He shook his head. "Got to unpack. Central location is better for Head Boy duties anyway."

"Really?" Hermione held Harry's arm tighter as they passed Ron lounging in front of the fire. She twitched at the muttered, 'slut' he tossed her way. Harry stiffened, but she tugged him along. "Not worth it."

"I disagree, "Harry said loudly enough to overheard. "I take great pleasure in teaching intolerable gits manners. Their skulls are usually far too thick to get it the first go round. It's a wonderfully creative exercise."

"You got something to say to me? I'm right here mate."

"The lady asked me to leave it, so I shall. I'd advise you to do the same."

"You'd advise me would you? And if I refuse? What'll you do? Kick me out of the tower? Go on then." 

"Oh no Weasel. You'll never see it coming, but I promise it will be fitting."

Ron pulled out his wand only for it to fly from his grip and into Harry s' waiting hand. The green eyed boy hadn't said a thing and his own wand still rested in the holster up his sleeve.

"Even you should have realized how outclassed you are, Mr. Weasley. You may have this back in the morning." The wand flew into the center of the common room, far out of reach and surrounded by bold red words: “the Weasel can’t hold his wand”. Chuckles ran out through the common room and Ron stood sputtering under his wand.

Harry led a smiling Hermione into his rooms. Neville stepped into his new suit across the hall, with a chuckle.

"I'm sorry my dear," Harry said as they sat at his coffee table. Hermione waved the apology off.

Anticipating his needs, as he always took tea before bed, Dobby popped in with a tray. Two cups, a platter of biscuits, scones, and muffins, and a pot of tea.

"Cismy send Dobby. Not mean to interrupt. Does Master or Miss be needing anything else?"

“No, Dobby, thank you."

“Dobby," Hermione stopped the elf from popping away. "How are you?"

“Miss be asking about Dobby well being? Dobby still tries to understand how Master Potter be so kind to elves. Dobby not expect to be meeting another. Thank you Miss. Dobby be very good. A little worried about raising new baby. Master, Cismy say baby come in one week."

"That's wonderful Dobby. Congratulations," Hermione said, hugging the flummoxed elf.

"Remember that you and Harly take two days before. More if you need."

"Oh no, sir. "Dobby said while awkwardly hugging Hermione back." Dobby and Harly already not know what to be doing with selves with all the time Master be giving us. Cismy be waiting though. If there be nothing else? Goodnight Master, Miss."

“Goodnight Dobby," they both said before he popped away.

The pair sipped tea.

"If it's safe to talk freely anywhere in the castle, this would be it," Hermione said.

“What do you want to know?"

“Everything.”

Harry laughed.

"Start with house elves." 

"Easy. I'm going to give them rights. Enforceable rights."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. In Britain, magicals traditionally ask for a bond of loyalty from their whole clan. House elf culture, unlike humans, values the family over the individual. The most important bond is the cultural bond to the land, a holdover from before magicals bound them and they fed off the ley lines directly.

Once I'm bound to every ancestral clan, I'll perform a ritual snapping all individual bonds to magical, by connecting the clans back to the ley lines."

"That means house elves won't need the bond to live."

“Exactly. Those who want to serve will, but they will have to choose it. At the same time I will put a motion forth at the ministry to create enforceable rights."

"How will you enforce them?"

"Freeing all the elves every five years. I’ll do it personally until the ministry sets itself up to do it formally. Amelia Bones has agreed to set a division of the aurors dedicated to magical creature protection. She doesn't know the specifics, but that division will ensure the freeing is completed according to schedule."

"That's- that's amazing!" 

"What it is is long overdue. Every other country with a significant magical community set up safeguards for sentient and magical creatures that no normal person would breach. That's why house elf farms are only an issue in Britain. 

“Everyone lauds how well Hogwarts, as a British institution. treats their elves, but if anyone else in Scotland made their elves work in rags and remain unseen like slaves, they'd be arrested!”

Hermione closed the bare foot between them and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss started nervous and excited. Hermione tried to pull back after a moment, but Harry pulled him back to him. She soon relaxed and they fell into a more natural rhythm. Hermione kept one hand pressed to his chest, the other on his shoulder, while he pressed her to him with one hand resting on her lower back as the other slid into her hair. Their lips melded.

After a moment, Harry let his tongue trail across her lips, which she parted. Their tongues met. His swirled confidently around hers and explored her mouth. Hers met him stroke for stroke tentative and slow until they broke for air.

"Now that, "Harry said, "was amazing."

"Oh shush." She moved back onto the couch from his lap. "You must think me rather forward."

He waved her off. "I've wanted to kiss you since that first night. Only," he looked at his hands, "I didn't want to rush you. Sorry. Suppose I took that too far."

“No. No. It was nice."

Silence.

"Would you like more tea?"

"Yes please."

Sipping.

"So tell me about something else. I know you're observing Snape," she said with a stern look. "Are you looking into anything else about the school?"

"Other teachers that don't have their international NEWT for their subject. The curriculum needs updating. Dumbledore allows for far too much danger. I mean, both our assignments for Care are potentially deadly creatures, as are many others, and that's par for the course around here. You've been here longer. What are your concerns?"

"Well," Hermione launched into it and the two discussed the school until Hermione began to drift off.


	4. Chapter 4

The week continued. Harry continued to observe his classes and seethe silently about the inadequacy of the education here. Hermione put more effort into raising and training Noch than any of her classes, though her grades didn't dip. Harry and Draco cared for their eggs, but didn't have much to do on that front until their eggs were ready to hatch. While Draco left his in its enchanted box in his dorm, Harry kept his in his cloak pocket.

“Harry," Hermione said, prodding him awake. "Harry." 

"Mmm?"

"I have to add someone to our date." 

"Huh?"

"Noch. She communicated with me telepathically for the first time."

“Good. Good.”

“So I've got to bring her in case she does it again." 

“‘Ight. Time is it?"

"Six."

He groaned.

"Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up before we have to leave."

They collected a bleary eyed but perfectly groomed Draco from the dungeons at quarter to nine.

"The Slytherin dorms are in the dungeons? Who the hell thought of that? It's like Dumbledore wanted you lot to turn dark."

"Yea, well. We didn't choose it and a lot of us have lodged formal complaints."

"We'll see about making them stick." The trio headed for Hogsmeade with Noch alternating through jumping through puddles, launching into quick fluttery flights, or riding on one of their shoulders. Despite snakes, tigers, and falcons all being solitary creatures, Nochnaya Strakh formed close family groups and Noch seemed to have accepted Harry and Draco into hers. That said, Hermione was first for her and she knew she'd kill the boys without a thought if it meant protecting her mother figure.

The conversation was light and cordial as the trio discussed all the changes they would make at Hogwarts if they were in charge. Despite the joking nature, his friends came up with a few ideas that Harry added to his mental to-do list.

After about twenty five minutes, they reached the Shrieking Shack. Draco and Hermione seemed hesitant to approach, but between Harry's coaxing and the inviting orange light pooling from the windows, they made a cautious approach.

Sirius greeted them at the door.

"Welcome! Come on in for a cuppa." 

"We'll be back later," Harry said. "Just dropping off Draco."

"I smell snakes," Noch said. "I not hurt the old two leg. Meet snakes. Stay with Draco.” She waltzed in between Sirius's legs to make herself at home.

Harry translated for Sirius and Hermione left him with a couple doses of antidote. Just in case.

Free from the others, Hermione held Harry's hand as they walked down the lane toward town. He gave a squeeze and a grin.

"Almost a shame to go back into society now that I have you to myself," he said.

Hermione blushed. "Even after all our late night talks?"

“All two? Yes. You should spend the night more often.”

"It's completely inappropriate and should never have happened in the first place," she said with a firm nod.

Harry stopped and pulled her to face him. She stumbled and caught herself on his chest. The intensity of his jade gaze kept her from pulling away. "You regret that time together?"

"No. It's not that."

“I acted too forward. Made you uncomfortable." 

“No. Of course not. You've been a perfect gentleman.”

“Then?"

“I'm Head Girl! What sort of example am I setting by breaking curfew and sleeping in a boy's room?"

"I was under the impression I could have guests." 

“Of course."

"And we didn't do anything untoward." 

"But people think- " 

“I don't care what people think. Wild gossip springs from every facet of my life.” He paused. "But I'm a bloody fool for not thinking about how it would affect you. I'm sorry." He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger.

"That's okay. There would be rumors anyway." 

"You'll tell me right? If it gets to be too much. I can back off."

“I want to see where this goes." 

He held her to him, tucking her head under his chin. Lavender and leather bound books. 

"Me too."

After a moment, they began walking again. This time, Hermnione looped her arm through his for an excuse to walk against his side. She told herself the wind bit too brisk to deny herself his warmth.

“Your birthday is close right? Would it make you feel better if we held off on our late night conversations until then?"

“My birthday won't stop the gossip."

“No. But you'll be of age so you won't be setting a bad example."

She burst out laughing. "That does actually make me feel better."

"So, where are we going first?"

***

Back at the house, Draco sat with Harry's snakes, listening to their stories about him.

"Why you call him king?" Draco asked in his broken parseltongue.

“He bested a basilisk,” Velma answered. “The venom runs in his veins. Makes him impervious to most venoms, poisons, and toxins.”

"Plus," Violet added, “he is a dragon."

“Hey cousin.”

A week ago, Draco would have cringed at the familiarity and denied their relation. Now, he turned to Sirius with a smile.

"They're telling me about Harry." 

“I can tell by the goofy grin on your face. Put them away for now and come have a cup with me."

***

As Harry and Hermione left Honeydukes, a crack and brilliant light had him shoving Hermione behind him as six shields sprang up around them.

“Step right up!"

"One day only, 70% off all merchandise!" 

"Get your must have tools for everyday pranking!" 

"Harry, "Hermione said, peeking over his shoulder on tiptoes. "It's just the Weasley twins. They're not dangerous. Well, not right now. They're rule breaking Scoundrels, but most of their gimmicks are to get a laugh."

He let her out and dropped all but one shield. The last was undetectable and laced with triggers to boost the creation of more shields if it detected danger.

“Sounds like a good time. Let's check it out."

“Still causing mischief boys?" Hermione called as they approached the red headed twins.

"Going to tell McGonagall on us Hermione?" 

"Not that the old cat can do much to us now, eh George?”

"You think so, Mr Weasely?" McGonagall's voice rang out. Both twins jumped and looked about in a near panic.

Harry burst out laughing. "Couldn't resist. Mimicry charm. Harry Potter." He offered his hand to shake both their hands.

"Fred Weasley.”

"George. That was a good one mate. Didn't even notice you casting!"

The twins eagerly talked to him about pranks, specifically tales of their antics at Hogwarts.

“Now you're encouraging the younger generation to become hellions, giving them your damned tricks and profiting to boot." Hermione gave their products a disapproving look. "Why the sale anyway?"

“Got no roof," Fred said.

“Walls," George added.

"Or heating. Miserable winters in Scotland." 

"Got no choice but to pack up for the season." 

"Only Mum won't let us store our supply at home." 

“So we've got to sell it off." 

"Might do you some good to cause a little mischief your last year."

"Loosen up. "

"Go out with a bang." 

“No one would expect it." 

"I'm just fine, thanks," she said.

"What do you do during the off season?" Harry asked. 

"Odd jobs," they answered.

"You're quite clever. You might be just the thing for my dad's company. What are you doing for dinner?" They made plans to come back for the twins before the couple headed off for lunch.

"I'm not sure you want to suggest those two for anything important," Hermione said once they were out of earshot. "They don't have a serious bone between the two of them."

"Dads' been talking about starting a practical joke company for years. They'll be the motivation he needs."

They poked around the other shops before sitting down for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. Hermione had suggested the Tea Shop as a more romantic location, but Harry took one look at the gaudy decor and overwhelming number of couples and walked out. 

"Thanks for coming out with me," he said as they sipped their butter beer and looked over the menu. "I know they haven't made it easy at school."

"That’s their problem. You're right. We can't live our lives to please others. Not all the time."

"Not ever."

She smiled. They both looked for reasons to brush the other's hand as they ate and talked.

After lunch, Harry pulled her to the one place she had avoided all morning. Tomes and scrolls.

"Really Harry, let's not. I didn't bring you out here to watch me look at books."

“We've seen everything else. Besides, watching you in your element sounds amazing. You took me to the three Broomsticks instead of making me stay in that aweful shop. I’m in your debt."

Hermione didn't need any more prompting. Soon Harry was flipping through an old book with brittle yellowed pages on Japanese runes while Hermione's pile grew beside him. She let out a little squeak or breathy sigh whenever she found an interesting book. The shopkeeper, a gnarled wizard missing the thumb and pointer finger of his left hand, knew Hermione too well to interrupt his best customer.

Once the stack of books reached Harry's hip and Hermione's arms were laden with scrolls, she called it quits and began sorting her treasures into three piles.

"What're you doing?"

"These are the ones I can afford, the ones I want in case there's room left in the budget, and these are ones I'll have to add to the list and put back." She looked sadly at the growing pile of books. Several of them she'd reshelved more than ten times over the years.

"Nonsense. This is your last year." Harry began marching stacks to the front counter despite Hermione's flustered protests. Once all the books were piled around the counter and the wide eyed owner had given them a total that renewed Hermione's protests, Harry paid for the books and called two house elves to pop Hermione's items to her room. His own book on Japanese runes he stowed in his cloak.

"Oh, is it really that late? "Hermione asked as they walked out under the purples, pinks, and vibrant orange of the setting sun. "You must have been bored to tears. I'm so sorry Harry."

"Nonsense. I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon." He took her hand and began to lead her back through the village.

"Still," she said, "that was far too generous. You've got to let me pay you back."

"And that's why I won't let you." He grinned. It soon became apparent that several of the small groups of students passing them on their way back to the castle were whispering about them. "I'm sorry. This can't be easy for you."

"I have a feeling you're worth it." She pulled him to a stop in the middle of town and flung her arms around his neck. Their lips met. His arms went around her waist. As each opened up, the kiss deepened and their tongues danced. For several minutes, all that mattered to either was how the other felt against them.

Then they heard a too loud scoff.

"Bloomin inappropriate that is. Snoggin in the street." 

"Bugger off Weasel," Harry said. "You're just jealous." He continued to watch Hermione as he spoke, but also readied shields he could call at a moment's notice.

“What sorta example are you setting Granger?" Hermione flinched, but otherwise didn't react and began walking hand-in-hand with Harry.

"Oi! I'm talking to you. Who let the most self-centered full of themselves gits get together."

Harry squeezed Hermione's hand. She took a deep breath and they continued walking.

"As if they weren't insufferable enough alone." 

The hair along the back of Harry's neck rose. He threw up a reflecting sheild a second before Ron sent a curse flying towards them. The pale yellow spell rebounded and struck Ron in the chest.

With a yell, he fell back into a puddle of slush. The pair turned to make sure he was alright. Ron twitched in the puddle and clutched at his face, moaning. Vicious green boils grew all over his face. They darkened and grouped together on his forehead to spell 'whore'.

Harry's expression darkened. "Only a coward curses a witch’s back. Volky!" When a middle aged house elf appeared with a bow, Harry continued. "Please take Mr Weasley to madam Pomfrey in the castle. Please also inform Professor McGonagall and the Headmaster that he attacked another student in the street. I'll meet with them this evening."

"Yes Sir. Miss." Volky bowed to each of them before popping away with Ron.

The previously gossiping groups were silent as Hermione and Harry continued to the twins stand. They had paused to watch the confrontation and hurried back to closing up.

"Sorry about that," Harry said. "I know he's your brother. I hope you'll still give my dad a chance." 

"Course we will," Fred said.

"And it should be us apologizing. Clearly we failed to teach the git some manners."

"You alright Hermione? "Fied asked.

"Nothing got through," she said.

"Still. I never would have thought he'd try." George said shaking his head.

"I would," Fred said in a rare moment of disagreement with his twin. "Ron's a jealous git. He's the baby boy. Mom means well, but she spoils him and he feels entitled."

"Well when you put it that way." 

"Shall we go? "Hermione asked, trying to shake off the encounter.

The twins finished closing up. grabbed a case full of samples for their potential employer, and went on their way with the couple. Rather than being put off by the Shrieking Shack, the twins' enthusiasm increased.

Sirius welcomed them all in and immediately forgot about dinner in favor of talking with the twins.

"My snakes are anxious to meet you," Harry said. At her nod, Harry led Hermione up the stairs and down the hall to his room.

Draco let them in and eagerly told Harry of his progress. When he noticed Hermione's amused and patient smile, he stuttered to a stop.

"But that's uh we can talk later. I'll leave you to it.”

“Nonsense," Hermione said. "We've been alone all day. Plus, if the way we left the other three is any indication, Harry will have to go cook for us. It would be nice to have someone who can talk to them around."

Draco wiped the surprise from his face, nodded, and leaned against the wall by the door. Harry smiled and squeezed Hermione's hand before introducing her to the snakes.

Velma and Daphne were particularly taken with her. When Noch came wandering into the room, all three of the snakes greeted her like an old friend. Velma and Daphne fawned over Noch even more than they did over Hermione.

After she seemed well established with the snakes. Harry excused himself to start on dinner.

"You're making it yourself?" Draco asked. 

"Of course. The house elves complain, but I like taking care of myself now and again." He left the two alone in uncomfortable silence.

“My father beat and raped my mother,” Draco blurted out.

“That’s not exactly something you just tell someone, Draco.” Despite her words, Hermione’s voice was a degree or two warmer than it had been before. While her own parents weren’t particularly affectionate toward her or each other, she couldn’t imagine either performing such violence in their more or less happy home. 

“You and Lord Potter are close. You’re brilliant. I know you’ll figure it out sooner or later and, well, I’d rather tell you. This way you might believe me when I tell you I’m trying to be … friendly toward you.”

Hermione gave him a sharp nod before busying herself with Velma, Daphne, and Noch to give him a semblance of privacy as he visibly collected his thoughts. 

“He did terrible things to her. Their marriage was arranged, you know? Almost all pureblood marriages are. My father is hunting for a wife for me.”

She shivered at the choice of words. Lucius definitely had a predatory aura and the thought of him stalking any girl her age like a doe to the slaughter sent chills down her spine. 

“She got pregnant in the honeymoon stage, before he showed his colours. Around the time I started kindergarten he dropped the facade. Forced her to join the Death Eaters. Beat her as she had miscarriage after miscarriage and ‘refused’ to give my father more children. More pawns.”

“Draco. Stop.”

“This is why I’m loyal to Harry. You want to know.”

She nodded, though he hadn’t asked it as a question. He was too cunning not to see the curious looks she flashed him whenever he seemed a hair too subservient to Harry. 

“I’m almost there. Fifth year, he almost killed her. I helped her leave. Forced her to leave. I wanted to go with her. He never would have stopped hunting us. But she could get away. Harry and his father took her in and hid her.

On the train, Harry gave me a note from her. For the first time in more than a year I knew she was alive and safe. Because of Harry. I’d spent over a year not knowing what happened to her. Over a year with him alone.”

“So you swore your allegiance.”

“He took me as his liegeman, which is more than I deserve.”

“Fifth year. Harry killed Voldemort in fifth year.”

“Like I said, brilliant.”

“Draco.” She knelt in front of the blond boy on the floor. In a move more tender than either of them were expecting, she held his chin so she could meet his pale blue eyes. “Did he transfer that rage to you?”

She read the answer in his eyes and threw her arms around his neck. His wrapped automatically around her waist. They sat that way, stiff and uncomfortable in an embrace neither had meant to start nor knew how to break.

“Krum raped me.”

“What?” His shock broke them apart. “That’s not something you just tell someone.”

She couldn’t meet his eyes. 

“Yule ball. Their ship. I don’t want to talk about it. I just -- Well your confession was so personal and I would like to trust you. For Harry.”

“I’m not my father.”

“What?”

“He’s a monster. I learned that this year. I revile every prejudiced and elitist principle he holds dear and tried to teach me. None of that excuses how I treated you in the past, but I swear it is the past. I would never do what Krum-”

“I didn’t think you would. Not now.”

“Not just because of Harry.”

She gave him a long considered look. "I believe you."

Silence.

“Who knows?” he whispered.

“No one.”

“Not even Harry?”

“No.”

“I won’t tell him.”

“Thank you.”

“He’d kill him you know.”

“Yes.”

“Slowly.” 

“I’lll kill him,” Noch swore, but she didn’t have the energy to struggle with telepathy. Though Draco had made significant progress with Harry’s snakes that day, he was not skilled enough to translate the broken parseltongue. 

***

Together they put the snakes away, except for Velma and Daphne, who insisted on coiling around Hermione's neck.

"Oh let them stay," Hermione said as Draco tried, unsuccessfully, to reason with them. "Fred and George are always scaring the crap out of other people for laughs. Let's see how they are with snakes."

They made their way downstairs and followed the smell of garlic and seared beef to the kitchen. Sirius and the twins were perched at the table. Even with six of them, they would only use half the table.

The three men were so absorbed in their conversation that they barely spent the time to give the newcomers a quick nod. The pair walked through to the kitchen were Harry flicked cut and lightly oiled veggies in a skillet as he poked at charred steaks sizzling on the grill that took up half the stovetop.

His smile when he turned encompassed them both.

"Finally. People who will talk about something other than vanishing trousers and portable swamps."

Draco had his fingers smacked away when he tried to snag a piece of broccoli from the skillet.

Hermione fought back a giggle and offered to set the table.

Fred noticed halfway through dinner that Hermione wore the two headed snake around her neck. Rather than be put off, the magical creature only added to the prank focused conversation. Draco, Harry, and Hermione chatted now and then, mostly to offer Harry praise on the tender steaks and crisp veggies. Mostly, they watched the other three become more and more animated.

The twins stayed much later than the three students and agreed to close up their kiosk in the morning to work exclusively with Sirius. None of them noticed when the others cleared the table and headed upstairs.

As Harry had pushed the paperwork through for each of his animals during the week, the other two helped him pack up their enclosures and held onto them and the snakes for Harry to apparate them back to Hogwarts.

They appeared in his sitting room and helped set the enclosures up along one wall. Draco soon excused himself. 

"Thank you for today," Harry said once the other boy left. "I had a wonderful time." He took both her hands.

"Me too. Would you like to go again next weekend?" 

"You're going to make me wait that long?" 

Hermione grinned, her shoulders relaxed. She hadn't been certain he'd want to go out again. "Well I'd be willing to go on another date sooner, but there aren't many romantic spots on campus."

"I'm sure I can find something." Harry's grin twinkled in his eyes. "Come out with me on Tuesday."

"Alright."

He bent his neck. She rose onto her toes, her chest brushed against his. Once his lips were a bare inch of hers, he paused.

"May I kiss you Mio?"

His breath made her lips tingle and a thrill shot down her spine at the affectionate nickname.

"Yes."

Their lips met warm and soft. Unlike their first kisses, there was no urgency and very little nervousness. Slow gentle heat built up between them. They stumbled backwards until Harry's calves hit the couch. He sunk into it, pulling Hermione down into his lap. She knelt, her knees on either side of his thighs. As their kiss continued to heat, she pressed herself closer.

As their tongues tasted and explored each other, she felt a hard bulge growing in his trousers below her. Caught in the passion of the moment, she rocked her hips against his. Harry growled against her lips before breaking the kiss, though he continued to hold her firmly to his chest.

"I only have so much self control, Mio. You're burning through it quickly."

She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, pulling another groan from Harry before he slipped both hands into her hair and began kissing her again with a fervent edge.

With a distinct effort, she kept her hips still, though the bulge continued to grow. One hand trailed down her neck and paused to make sure she didn't pull away before he gently cupped the side of her breast.

Hermione gasped against his lips and shifted to offer more of herself to his wandering hand. He began massaging her through her shirt and bra. With a little guesswork, he found her sensitive nipple and squeezed gently. At her moan and involuntary thrust of her hips he pinched harder and went back to kneading her breast.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Hermione broke the kiss to sit up on his lap and lock eyes as she pulled her shirt over her head. To his credit, Harry kept her gaze a few moments longer before racking over her generous bosom and down her smooth, yet soft stomach. She felt the heat of his gaze.

"You're beautiful," he said. His jade eyes met her golden brown, shining with awe and honesty. Hardly believing how bold his gaze made her, she reached behind herself to unclasp her sensible black bra and slowly let it drop from her shoulders. His eyes widened as he took in her bare chest.

With slow motions, he cupped the underside of both breasts, feeling their weight and smooth warm skin. He rubbed his thumbs around the outside of her large light brown areolas before finally passing over the darker nubs of her nipples. She groaned and leaned into his touch. He rolled her nipples under his thumbs, making them pucker and sending sparks tingle through her, centering between her legs as heat and moisture began to accumulate behind her panties.

"Absolutely gorgeous," he whispered while lowering his head to catch her left nipple between his lips. He delighted in the excited mewing noises she made while he sucked and nipped at one and then the other. Meanwhile, his hands worked her breasts.

She ground her hips against his. "Harry," she moaned. "I’ve never felt- " 

A soft pop interrupted her and set Harry's quick reflexes to wrap the throw blanket on the back of the couch around her shoulders.

The house elf fell to his face with a squeal. "Dobby is sorry Master and Miss. Dobby didn't know. Bad Dobby will punish- will take break for this."

"That's quite alright Dobby," Hermione said, her voice muffled as she buried her face against Harry's chest.

"What is it Dobby? "Harry asked. It took considerable effort to keep the frustration from his voice.

"Dobby not come Master, only Harly be having the baby early."

Harry leapt to his feet, bringing Hermione with and throwing her shirt over her head.

"I'm sorry. I'd never leave you like this, but house elf babies are never early. It's very dangerous for them both."

"Let's go,” Hermione said, taking his hand as soon as she worked her arms through her sleeves.

They apparated away, appearing back in Harry's room in the Shrieking Shack.


End file.
